Post Sex Nachos came into my life this past summer when I first perused the Lollapalooza 2024 lineup. Unfamiliar with most of the smaller acts that played in the afternoon, I scanned the lineup for any group names that caught my eye. Of course, their tongue-in-cheek name drew my attention. After checking out their Instagram and Spotify, I discovered that we shared a home state –– Missouri–– and that I liked their music! My fellow Midwest friends and I eagerly soaked in the sunny Sunday afternoon in Chicago, thrilled to watch Post Sex Nachos perform. When they announced “The Minor League Tour,” I was excited that I’d be able to see them again, this time in my college town!
Before the show, I read online that the tour name is a play on how a band has to work their way to the “major leagues,” like a baseball player. Currently, Post Sex Nachos is in the metaphorical minor leagues. At the show, I stood behind a group wearing striped baseball jerseys with “Nachos” stylized on the front as the team name. One woman explained they were there with the dad of one of the members of the band.
The band donned those same jerseys when they stepped up to Row One Stage at Cannery Hall. For this tour, the group consist of: Mitch Broddon on guitar, Sammy Elfanbaum on vocals, Chase Mueller on bass, Hunter Pendleton on drums and Jack Hazel on keys. Usually, Kevin Jerez is on keys, but as the band explained, Kevin is having a baby soon and is sitting this tour out. Instead, Nashville-based keyboardist Jack Hazel is taking his spot for the tour.
The baseball theme was more than just the outfits — the band announced midway through the show that it was time for a “seventh-inning stretch.” They went on to lead the crowd in a sing-along to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” The crowd laughed but indulged them. This perfectly captured the goofy energy I love about Post Sex Nachos. At another point in the show, the band played “Guess the Song” with the crowd. A few of the guys played the first few notes of a popular song, and the crowd was supposed to yell out the name of the song.
I had a fun time at Post Sex Nachos’ show. It was packed with head-bopping rhythms, catchy hooks and undeniable charisma. Much of the setlist came from their most recent and first official studio album, “Prima/Vera,” a record I love for its lighthearted, upbeat existentialism. This idea is exemplified well in my favorite –– and their most popular –– song from the show, “Growing Old.” It has an upbeat and catchy hook, but its lyrical content can tell a different, deeper story.
“I think I’ll change my name / Get a tattoo on my face / Just to prove I’m unpredictable / I’m always trying to change,” Sammy sang in the chorus. “Maybe I’m dumb and apathetic / But I’m sick of growing old,” he continued.
My second favorite from the night was “Coffee,” a 2019 single. The groovy track had me swaying and smiling. The band joked that “Coffee” was popular by chance, thanks to Spotify’s algorithm that boosts its streams.
I had the chance to meet two of the band members, as they all stuck around to hang out after the show and run their merch booth. Post Sex Nachos seem like fun guys to be around, and I can say confidently, that they make fun music. I am proud they hail from my home state, and I’ll be patiently waiting for their journey from the minor to the major leagues.
Let’s take a page from Post Sex Nachos’ book: Instead of letting existential dread about growing up and life’s challenges weigh us down, why not have some fun and “Talk About It?” Their new song “WALK AWAY” dropped Feb. 21 –– give it a listen!
