In most cases, when there are three bands on a bill, the first two provide a good warmup and the headliner steals the show. At The Fillmore Charlotte on Wednesday, Oct. 19, all three artists could have easily been the headliner.
The evening started with indie-rock artist Mobley (with a TV on his head for the first two songs), hit a thunderous crescendo with The Joy Formidable and then offered the “cherry on top” with The Front Bottoms. The energy level never dropped and those not familiar with one or more of the bands would have walked away just as satisfied as anyone who knew all three.
Mobley has a stage presence that commands attention and talent that went from the keyboards to guitar to drums. The Joy Formidable, fronted by the charismatic Ritzy Bryan, has opened for bands as big as Foo Fighters and brought that big-stage atmosphere to the 2,000-capacity Music Factory venue, getting out all their frustrations and fuzz-laden guitar riffs in one short set.
The Front Bottoms have made a name for themselves by combining folk-rock instrumentation with punkish storytelling lyrics in the vein of Blink-182. The band has been around since 2006, but their trajectory is just starting to take off like a SpaceX rocket.
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
The Front Bottoms setlist
Lone Star
The Beers
Montgomery Forever
West Virginia
Vacation Town
the truth
Jim Bogart
Maps
Wolfman
Tie Dye Dragon
Cough It Out
Be Nice to Me
Tattooed Tears
Twin Size Mattress
More Than It Hurts You
Hello World
Au Revoir (Adios)
leaf pile
Encore
12 Feet Deep
Lonely Eyes
2YL
Father
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