Slaughter Beach, Dog brought their emotive indie rock sounds to Nashville at Basement East on Saturday Nov. 11. The Pennsylvania natives released their newest album, “Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling,” on Sept. 22 and their show had me doing all of these throughout the night. The album and tour title was no lie: Slaughter Beach, Dog, brought me through a sundry of emotions in one night.
The openers, Erin Rae and Bonny Doon, played two distinct genres, indie folk and rock, yet they complimented each other perfectly. Rae, a Nashville native, was sweet and charming and created an especially memorable moment when she brought her dad onstage for her last song in honor of his 70th birthday. They closed out Rae’s set by covering “I Miss the Mississippi and You.” Detroit-based duo Bonny Doon, touring alongside Slaughter Beach, Dog followed up Rae’s set.
After a set change, the lights went low and Slaughter Beach, Dog members arranged themselves on stage. The band started with their newer songs detailing stories from bars or relationships. “Bobcat Club,” “Strange Weather” and “Float Away” nod to the eccentricities of life. After a few fresher hits, lead singer Jake Ewald welcomed the crowd into what would be one of many emotional transitions.
“We are going to do a couple old ones if that’s alright,” Ewald said.
The older music encompassed both longing and reminiscence, two very prevalent emotions to me as a first year in college. The rest of the crowd swayed back and forth while I was transported into my childhood during “Green and Gold” and its lyrical reference to “Garden Song” by John Denver — it brought me much comfort as my mom used to sing for me growing up. But, in no time, the crowd was filled with vibrancy again.
“You guys are real riled up tonight,” Ewald said.
The energy was highest during “My Sister in Jesus Christ,” a song Ewald wrote about going to church with his twin sister. The song maintains a steady beat through drums and keyboard but features an epic guitar riff mid-song, keeping listeners on their toes with unpredictable rhythm gaps. Along with a few more engaging songs speaking to the comfortable — and uncomfortable — emotions of young adults, the band performed their most popular song “Acolyte.” Slaughter Beach, Dog powerfully ended with an extended version of “104 Degrees” and walked off stage.
After a dramatic pause and amidst an audience full of fans chanting “encore,” the band returned to round out a night of sweetness and jamming with three more songs.
The plethora of feelings expressed in Slaughter Beach, Dog’s set encapsulated the experience of adolescence. Whether it’s missing the simplicities of family dinner or overthinking a text message, Slaughter Beach, Dog has a song that uniquely embraces those feelings and serves as a reminder to hang in there.
