Goth Babe @ The Anthem

You never know what experience you’re gonna get when you set out for a concert; even if you know the artist well, each show is something new, each moment is its own. Recently I got the chance to see Goth Babe play a sold-out show at my home away from home, the Anthem. No matter how many times I walk through those doors, I’m never let down by the experience; this time was no different. While I’m nowhere near a Goth Babe stan, I certainly have a new appreciation for the performer, and his ability to create moments, memorable ones. The headliner was supported by openers Flipturn and Yoke Lore, two acts I had no inkling of before the night, gladly that changed.

Yoke lore was up first, and he came out ready to run. Sonically, the pairing of Yoke Lore’s [and Flipturn’s] music with Goth Babe’s, is a chef’s kiss of curation. There is, however, a little more of a manic strand to Yoke Lore’s appeal. Adrian Galvin [Yoke Lore] is a conduit of the music, swaying and twitching through melodies, when he moves it’s as if the spirit of the 60’s got lost in the 80’s, and through sheer force of will ended up here, now. A special thing happens when an artist gets lost in the zone, you can feel it, how it possesses, turns shadows inside out, makes magic of the rhythm; it can be downright entrancing. I think Yoke Lore is more than capable of tapping into that zone, and when he does… what a show.

Following Lore was Flipturn. While the first act was clearly no slouch, these guys turned things up exponentially; from the second their feet touched the stage these guys were hot. Forget the fact that most of them actually are fairly young, the feeling of youthfulness I got when Flipturn was on stage was almost like a high. Flying, skipping, and jumping across the stage, I found it hard to look away for a second. I honestly couldn’t list a single song, but that’s no indictment on the band’s music; cause it’s good, might I even say dope, but the performance was showstopping. If anybody was still waking up before this, they were live and pumping by the end. This is a band I want, nay, need to see again. I would say I have a feeling they’re going to be special, but frankly they already are; far as I’m concerned, the only thing between them and stardom, is time.

I had no idea what to expect when Goth Babe’s time came to close things out; based on music alone, the level of energy I expected was fractional to what I got. This dude loves what he’s doing and its so joyfully obvious, it’s hard not to smile. There were no wicked Yoke Lore-esque dance moves, or full on stage sprinting like Flipturn, but there were giant inflatable fruit slices surfing lucky concert-goers across the crowd, and even an appearance by the legend herself, Hayley Williams, in glorious carboard cutout form. Put plainly, Goth Babe knows how to have a good time, and as that translates to the stage, there was a welcome dearth of dull moments. I see the appeal, why Goth Babe’s fans flock to his shows like moths to a flame, the opportunity to experience 90 minutes of unrelenting joy; sounds like a good deal to me.

I’m grateful for another show in the books, and a new set of memories to share.

Full gallery of moments below!