Photo credit: Ben Popjoy
Single Mothers
It’s lucky that Single Mothers are from Canada. Unfazed by Sunday night’s frigid temperature, the London, Ontario band burned through a tight, high-energy 40-minute set at Riverwest’s Cocoon Room. Favoring heavily their 2014 debut album, Negative Qualities, they sent the weekend out on a high note.
Openers Peter J. Woods and Lucky Bone (“Blood Pot Weenie Sucker”) started the night with an audio-visual noise offering that lent itself well to the space and vibe of the show. Ominous without being oppressive, they brought a somewhat dark energy to a bill that could’ve simply played it safe.
The evening also functioned as local hardcore outfit Midwives’ album release show. Their brief, intense set managed to be both blistering and engaging in equal measure. While they easily invite comparisons to bands like Pissed Jeans, Midwives have an undercurrent of something deeper, and they’ve only just begun. Live, they don’t disappoint and—let’s put it this way—they’ll keep you on your toes.
Next up, The Dirty Nil brought a lighter touch to the evening, offering something between pop punk and hardcore, not unlike Against Me! or The Gaslight Anthem at their rowdiest. With a solid sense of hooks, a pleasingly gifted lead singer and a spirited stage presence, their songs would’ve been at home in any early 2000s teen movie, and that’s a compliment.
Single Mothers took the reins next, kicking off with “Half Lit,” the lead single from their Negative Qualities. Equipped with a post-hardcore Hold Steady vibe, lead singer Andrew Thomson bites off his words with the same storyteller intensity that Craig Finn uses to great effect. While this comparison is most apt for their recorded material, Single Mothers’ live performance sets them apart. A little louder, a little less mixed, and whole lot rougher, the band blew through songs like “Hell is My Back Up Plan” and “Overdose” sounding, well, exactly like themselves.
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Bold, loud and sort of mesmerizing, Single Mothers harken back to an era of hardcore that thrived in basements, sprung up on MySpace pages, and invited profound loyalty from fans. The crowd was unquestioningly on board with Single Mothers’ set, and, for a Sunday night, it was nice to know that a show can still draw fervent, eager fans. Straight through to the end of their set, Single Mothers kept up an athletic, eager pace, delivering their material with an honesty and urgency that could convert even the least interested crowd. Good thing that’s the least of their worries.
