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Concert Sat Feb 22 2014
Preview: Touché Amoré @ Bottom Lounge 02/22
"I made a pledge to myself. If I was to raise my voice, be direct as I can be. No matter what I may destroy," Jeremy Bolm screams during the song "To Write Content." Touché Amoré is a hardcore band from California who have been making waves these last several years with their impassioned recordings and incendiary live shows, destroying conventions and creating believers in their wake.
Inspired by bands such as Converge, Thursday and Refused, Touché Amoré have been carving their place in the world of hardcore for the better part of a decade. Thier latest album, ...Is Survived By, has gathered a substantial amount of attention for the band, earning accolades such as Pitchfork's "Best New Music" and has enabled them to perform for larger crowds including their set during prime time at last year's Riot Fest.
What I find most interesting about them is Bolm's heartfelt spoken word-esque lyricism which acts as the driving force of the band. Songs such as "Just Exist" deliver a sensation of intensity paired with a message of hopeful catharsis as Bolm passionately proclaims "All of these things scare me half to death. I'll suffer the day just hoping for the best," while the drums clatter claustrophobically followed by a luminous bit of guitar that calls back to bands like Fugazi.
Opening for Touché Amoré are survivors of the Tooth and Nail / Equal Vision / Epitaph / Victory Records hardcore bubble burst of the mid 2000s, MewithoutYou. Over the course of their last several albums, MewithoutYou have been experimenting with folk while retaining their sense of intensity; just now that intensity is manifested differently. In their current form, they remind me of bands such as Murder by Death but exploring issues of philosophy and religion.
Touché Amoré play tonight at the Bottom Lounge (1375 W Lake Street) on Saturday, Feb. 22. In addition to MewithoutYou, Seahaven and Caravels open. This is an all ages show and starts at 5p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
Update: ...And this show is now sold out. You can try contacting Bottom Lounge to find out if they'll have any additional tickets at the door, but as of right now tickets are no longer available to purchase. If you're into it, I still recommend checking out Touché Amoré and MewithoutYou on Spotify, though.