STRFKR With Ruth Radelet: 10/29/23
STRFKR and their astronaut friends. Photo by Atikis Curiel
Trippy, spacey, and indie rock are the exact words I would use to describe STRFKR's music. I first came across them mid-last year as a recommendation from a close friend. The song they recommended is one of STRFKR's most famous songs, "Golden Light." The song itself is fantastic, melodic, relaxing, and, under certain circumstances, trippy.
I saw they would be playing at this year's Just Like Heaven music festival, but unfortunately, I could not attend their set. Then, a couple of months later, I saw a post that they were on tour, and I immediately went to buy a ticket. Their LA show at The Roxy was sold out, but their show at The Pomona Glass House still had some tickets available.
I have never been to the Glass House, so this was a new venue for me and also the farthest I have driven to a venue. From the exterior, the Glass House holds up to its name; glass covers most of the building, but the interior is different. The interior looked like an old high school gym renovated into a place where artists go and perform. Think of the high school dance scene from the movie Grease, but with a stage in a corner, low lighting, and the rest is just open space. I did like the look of it. It is a total change to the venues I am used to.
While waiting for the opener, I conversed with fellow concertgoers about STRFKR and other bands we like and have seen live. That is what makes going to concerts alone a great experience. You meet people with similar interests, many are there by themselves, and you're there to see the same band or person! If that is not a conversation starter, I don't know what. You would be surprised by the amount of people who attend concerts alone. So, I advise people reluctant to go to a show because no one wants to go with them that going alone is better than missing out and regretting it.
Ruth Radelet. Photo by Atikis Curiel
Once 8 p.m. came around, the show started with its opener, Ruth Radelet. I had yet to hear of her prior to the show, but after her set, she gained a new fan. She has such a beautiful voice; her songs were mellow, and a touch of melancholy to some of her tracks. But overall, it was a great opening set. At around 8:50 p.m., she finished her set, and the crew started preparing the stage for STRFKR.
STRFKR. Photo by Atikis Curiel
STRFKR came on at about 9:20 p.m., a little later than usual for the actual show to start, but they must have been busy with something. Their set started with the projectors projecting a trippy video in the stage's background. It looked like something you would see on a psychedelic trip, which was the point of the video and also very fitting with STRFKR and their music. Then, as the video was ending, the band members came on stage and went to their respective instruments. All three frontmen men and the drummer (I could be wrong) had their own synthesizers.
They began the set with the song "Dear Stranger," it was a perfect song to open with, a track that is one of my favorites from them and one I would recommend you check out as the show went on. They brought out two people dressed as astronauts dancing around the stage, interacting with the crowd, and shooting confetti cannons. It was quite the experience, all of that accompanied by light panels on each side of the stage changing colors, dimming, and brightening, and you had the background displaying some trippy art and, at one point, outlines of apples.
Unfortunately, I was not able to stay the entire set. I left near the end, about four songs before they did the encore. Although I didn't see the show in its entirety, from what I experienced, it was terrific; I am glad I could see this band and experience such a unique show. If you still need to check out STRFKR or see them live, this is your sign to do so.
Joshua Hodges of STRFKR. Photo by Atikis Curiel
Overall Rating 9/10
Recommended tracks:
Golden Light (obviously)
Dear Stranger
Always/Never
Fantasy
Armatron
Open Your eyes