U.S. Girls played Elsewhere

In support of their last album, Bless This Mess, U.S. Girls brought their tour to Brooklyn's Elsewhere.

Following their show in Boston this past weekend, U.S. Girls were in an accident that left their van and some of their gear damaged. Despite what could've been a killer set back, it only caused the band to push back the start time of their show in Philadelphia later that night, and since then, the band has persevered and played to a sold out crowd in Brooklyn on Monday evening. Taking the stage with a bit of a pause, the band gathered behind their instruments and with little notice, the house lights dimmed and the show was underway. After a flat start, the band went into "So Typically Now" which didn't do anything to add to the groove of the night and once it finished, things took a pause so the band could investigate some of their gear. During the holdup, Meg Remy engaged with the crowd to explain the damage to their gear while also answering some questions from the crowd. Fun fact: her favorite pasta shape is plain spaghetti. During the downtime she also asked the crowd what rent was like in Brooklyn these days before gathering some camaraderie and unison as she convinced the crowd to band together in agreement to withhold rent next month in joint solidarity to protest the city's unbearable rent increases. After some modifications, things finally clicked into place and they redid "So Typically Now" with a newfound sense of purpose and breathed new life into their set. Even with the technical difficulties aside, the vocals were still low in the mix and made Remy's voice lost in the band's disco grooves. "Bless This Mess" was a sultry number that shone with slight elegance and the crowd responded by putting their lighters in the air to celebrate the moment. "Rosebud" was another highlight of the night, the band's grooves locking firmly into place giving some solid dance vibes that helped to pick up the band's momentum for the evening. "Woodstock '99" into "4 American Dollars" was a great one-two punch that helped carry the energy and made up for the sound issues that plagued the band earlier in the night. "Tux (Your Body Fills Me Boo)" was the real stunner of the night as a masked dancer came onstage to bring a new layer to the band's live show as the center of attention and added some great balance to Meg's rather shy demeanor. With lush disco grooves and heavy beats taking the prominent focus of the song, it was a breakout dance number that really got the crowd moving with elated bliss. To end the evening, Meg engaged once again to talk about her disdain for "anti-aging" marketing that is constantly targeted to us all. "To live is to age and gain experience and become wiser. Aging is what it means to live and they want us to stop living. This song is about death and how much I wanna die and be live life at the same time." What came next was a synth-wave monster, the stage washed in dark purple beams of light as Remy began to bark out the lyrics over the haunting dark-wave grooves. While it was clear that the band was still shaken up by their accident from the past weekend, they carried on with a sheer will to deliver to their fans and prove their dexterity can translate beyond record and make for a live show that knows no bounds. Just like that, however, it was over. Meg left the stage as the band played out the track, the icy, haunting beats bringing the end for a night that seemed a bit frustrating, but was an overall good showing.

Set list:

01 "Only Daedalus"
02 "So Typically Now" [Played all the way through with technical difficulties]
02 "So Typically Now" [Played a second time, with no technical difficulties]
03 "Futures Bet"
04 "Bless This Mess"
05 "Window Shades"
06 "Rosebud"
07 "L‐Over"
08 "Woodstock ’99"
09 "4 American Dollars"
10 "IOU"
11 "Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)"
12 "Pump"
13 "Woman's Work"