Nicole Hale
Nicole Hale
Nascar Aloe and Oddly Shrugs
4/6/24 at The Webster Underground – Hartford, CT
Crowd Critics Fan Review by Nicole Hale
Introduction
In a time where the allure of live music is a constant competition of bands, attending a concert like the Nascar Aloe and Oddly Shrugs is more than just a live show. It is a visceral dive into the vibrant core of underground trap punk. Entering the heart of this scene offers a peek into a world where the raw, unfiltered essence of this music and its cult followers thrive, unfazed by the mainstream artists that run the music world today.
The Calm and the Chaos
It was April 6th, 2024, the sharp cold of the nighttime air contrasted perfectly with the warmth and anticipation radiating from the mob packed inside the small venue’s walls.
Upon first entering the venue, the room was filled with energy, a palpable intensity in the air that enveloped you as soon as you stepped in. Performers already on the stage, unleashed a wave of energy that ricocheted off the walls, shooting from person to person in the pit of fans, filling the room in raw power and unbridled passion.
Mosaic of Fans
The crowd inside was a mosaic of grunge and punk. I could feel their energy, both welcoming and intense. The center of the mob consisted of a pit with violently moshing enthusiasts, arms and legs being aimlessly thrown around. Some people stood by the side of the crowd with a drink in hand, either smiling or glaring with wild fascination at the stage.
Conversations could be heard fluttering in the air in between songs. People talked of everything, ranging from the music to the line of coke they had just done in the bathroom. No one in this audience was just an audience member. They were the finishing touch to the show. They were what made it whole. Each person had their own style and look and way of dancing or acting. The energy of the audience amplified the atmosphere of The Webster Underground.
Anarchy on Stage
The performers themselves were not just entertainers but conjurers of chaos and harmony. Each one filled the room with their own sound and way of commanding the stage and audience.
One of the first performers was Emotional Xan, a young, spikey frosted-tipped hair singer with a “go fuck yourself” demeanor. He leaped onto stage with a drunken haze over his eyes. The energy was all there, the songs were not. It was very hard to understand what he was singing, but not in a vocal fry way. It was like punk grunge but just…bad.
I will say his soul-stirring cover of “Creep” by Radiohead, made up for what lacked in his original songs. The disturbed performance consisted of raw drawn-out vocals that seemed to come from this man’s very soul. While he was still hard to understand, the cover was a dark, grungy, passion-filled cover of the original song.
Dirty Butt was the next performer, his set was very similar to the artist himself: Loud and memorable. His songs consisted of the chaos of his character put into screams and shouts. Though I was not a big fan of his music, it was still a great performance. He even jumped in the mosh pit to interact with the audience more, which not many artists do.
Emerging Artists
The last set before the headliner, Nascar Aloe, was Oddly Shrugs. Before this show I had never heard of him, but as soon as he opened his set with a harsh metal scream that went right into his first song, I fell in love. Oddly, a lanky figure with black hair and eyes darkened by contacts, commanded the stage with a presence that was both unnerving and captivating. He moved perfectly with the music, in a freaky tweaked-out, off-beat kind of way that made the man look possessed. His vocals were a tapestry of high guttural metal screams and low deep singing. One thing was unquestionable, the almost tangible despair and passion in his voice.
Beside Oddly Shrugs was Sammy Choz on guitar. This 18-year-old guitarist was a force to be reckoned with. Despite his youth and slender frame, he played with a passion and energy that matched the intensity of Oddly’s vocals and overall performance. The dance of sound and spirit between these two talented musicians captivated the audience, but their performance was more than just harmonious interplay. Choz infused each song with a beautiful depth and emotion that contradicted his young age.
Both Oddly Shrugs and Sammy Choz made their performance magnetic. This is a perfect example of how much a live guitarist can do for a solo musician, especially if they have the same creative energy as Oddly and Choz. They were the architects of a moment that will linger. A moment where everyone present was united by the relentless, pulsating beat of music at its most elemental. The dark and disturbed yet still beautiful performance drew the crown into a shared experience that blurred the line between performer and audience.
Each song played seemed to almost echo the promise that punk is indeed not dead. In this light, Sammy Choz stood as proof of the genre’s rebellious spirit and its ability to continue to inspire new generations.
The intermission between Oddly’s set and the headliner acted as a brief gasp of air. The audience barely had time to breathe before being shot back into the chaos that had engulfed the entire show.
The King of Anarchy
Nascar Aloe’s set was an onslaught of intensity. His bass-heavy tracks were paired with his guttural screaming rap verses and aggressive chorus. Nascar is a tall young man with signature hair that seems to change drastically every so often. His on-stage force and intense songs created a soundscape that was both disturbing and exhilarating.
This ball of rage jumped around the stage with a childlike energy about him while seeming like he was vengeful toward earth and everyone on it. Nascar performed with this in-your-face intensity that couldn’t help but captivate everyone in the audience. His performance was impossible not to watch, partially because it felt like if you weren’t watching or vibing in some way, he would come down off stage and start screaming his lyrics in your face. But with this crowd, I don’t think anyone would mind that.
Near the end of Nascar Aloe’s set Oddly came back out to join him which ended in Oddly letting out guttural screams into the microphone in the corner of the stage with his forehead leaning on the wall. After that the show was done, the lights out.
Capturing the Essence of a Concert
The task of conveying the raw essence of this show to a reader who was not present is a daunting yet vital task. As a critique, one must be able to not just assess the performance but capture the essence of the experience. To almost lend your eyes, ears, and heart to those absent in hopes they are able understand how insane the show was.
Writing this, the memories of the various performances are as vivid as the night itself. From the electric atmosphere to the charged crowd, from the unbelievable performances to the questionable characters – each detail contributes to the narrative of that night that is both personal and shared.
The true power of a live show will never only lie in the hands of the performer, but also in what is carried away in the hearts and minds of those who witnessed it.
Conclusion
When writing a review on an event such as this type of concert, it’s essential to understand the balance between truth, fact, opinion, bias, assumption, perception, and authenticity. The truth and fact lay in details like the crowd’s reactions, the performers’ engagement, and the palpable energy within the venue’s brick walls, while opinion and bias critique in the form of personal impressions and interpretations of the show. Still, one must try to stay authentic to the experience and the audience while also being truthful, which can prove difficult.
As a critique, one must balance all of these elements, all while capturing and conveying the show’s essence – the sweat, the surge of the crowd, the sound, the journey, and the overall energy.
Through the lens of this show, we see not just a bright future for punk and alternative but also the timeless value of live music itself. A place where authenticity in its rawest form reigns.
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