The two-piece imperfect perfection of Omar marked the start of last Saturday night’s antics at Kung Fu Necktie. Initially lightly attended, the thin crowd thickened as the shout-out lines of “Nism” crashed against crisp, quick cymbal laced with thunderous riffs, inciting sweat. This Fishtown duo’s delivery of lines like “I’m choking” and “I can’t take it, I can’t say it, can’t say it out loud”, cast the relatively lighthearted act in a heart-wrenchingly relatable light, one that gave way to the less than clean yet honest start of “Day 8 (Trampoline Only)”. In the spirit of At the Drive-In’s post-punk crooner (Cedric Bixler-Zavala), Omar’s appeal rests in their unpretentious reckless abandon. Smiling through slight mistakes, Omar’s Nick and Candice forged through their set, unveiling a new track “Monkey Business” premised by “Triacial Cat”. Both songs incited shouts of the band’s name from show-goers and applause instigated by way of Slutever. Aided no doubt by thumping drums and legit intense riffs, the latter half of Omar’s set felt brief, mosh-able and sincere with “It’s Difficult to Look at But I Got It for Free on the Internet” and “Jumping Jacks”.
The crowd dispersed in search of beer and/or cigs, returning soon after in order to lose themselves in the captivating quirkiness of Easter Vomit, Brooklyn-based lo-fi armed with capes and trombone. Ranging from weird to endearing and back to weird again, EP gems like “Wolves Love You” played out alongside pre-recorded and live howls, nestling close to carefree noisy repeats of “don’t be afraid of the darkness”. The howls of the outro’s end slipped into a tale of an epic battle with “Easter Vomit vs. the Natural History Museum”, proving the band’s penchant for adventure as well as clever narratives. Despite a crashing trombone and percussive dilemmas throughout the set, the minor mishaps failed to impede Easter Vomit’s aesthetic, leaving “Whales” and the aggressive shreds of “Rhythm Rock” visceral and real. At one point referring to themselves as Reading Rainbow (who happened to be in attendance), Easter Vomit’s strange yet sanguine presence was a fitting primer to self-ordained brat-punks Slutever.
Rebelling against the wintery forecast, Slutever stormed the stage, opening with “Sun Hot”, rocking out hard and fast. “Pussycat” was undeniably snarky with surprising charm, showcasing an audible strength and growth in the twosome’s sound. “No Offense” rang out clearer and with more precision, than (dare I say) the Vivian Girls’ earlier days. Coupled with a mid-set switch of Gagliardi from drums to guitar, Snyder’s enthusiasm sizzled along with her bandmate’s sass and intense riffage during a song about homework (“Seventh Grade”) and what Rachel Gagliardo’s confessed “favorite” via the cranky yet catchy hooks of “Teen Mom”. In addition to Omar and Easter Vomit’s refreshingly lively sets, Saturday night’s show proved that from Philly basements to bars in Brooklyn (and hopefully at this year’s SXSW) Slutever’s “shit-fi” shines through again and again. – Dianca Potts