Author: Megan Karangutkar
It wouldn’t have been my first idea, but I think that an old schoolhouse was the perfect venue to hear Florist’s nostalgic bedroom pop. The Auditorium at UHeights felt just as comforting as the music itself, leaving a crowd of mostly twenty-somethings crying in an elementary school.
The night started out with openers Chanel Beads and Pickle Boy. Chanel Beads played a few lo-fi songs, including one which featured him howling/barking like a dog—something that I, for one, found quite endearing and would like to hear more often please and thank you. Pickle Boy came on after and played a fairly short set of confessional guitar songs. Before her song “Bad Boy,” she elaborated on its meaning, explaining that she used to think she needed a bad boy, but then realized, “wait I’m the bad boy,” which is obviously inspirational and a potential re-branding move for all sensitive people.
Shortly after, Florist came on as a two-piece, with Emily Sprague on guitar and vocals and Jonnie Baker on guitar and synths. The band launched straight into their set, playing their most popular song, “Vacation,” early on. It’s a song that I have loved for some time now and seeing it performed live was even more emotional. Considering that “Vacation” is a song rooted in imagery of childhood innocence, seeing it in an old elementary school felt very appropriate!
The band played several songs off of their most recent LP, If Blue Could be Happiness, released in 2017 on Double Double Whammy. Sprague’s lyricism stood out on these tracks, especially in more vulnerable moments like on “Blue Mountain Road” and the night’s closer, “Thank You Light.”
One aspect of Florist’s set that I was particularly impressed with was their musicianship. The band was only a two-piece that night, but with analogue synths and expansive guitars, they managed to create a full sound. At multiple points during the set, Baker played his guitar with a violin bow to create an ambient atmosphere (I may or may not have looked up violin bows on Amazon immediately after the show to try this, apologies to my neighbors). Even without a full band, songs like “White Light Doorway” remained engaging through great lyrics like “please come quick I’ve stuck my head in the banister again” and textured synth sounds.
Thankfully, the night was free of flashbacks to elementary school sing-alongs, but it did bring me the same feeling of comfort that I had then. Maybe we should all go to more shows in old (not haunted) elementary schools.
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MEGAN KARANGUTKAR | put a modular synth in your dorm room 2k18 | KXSU Music Reporter