The Frights’ show was the first I attended while on duty for the Triangle so seeing them perform again kind of felt like everything had come full circle. While the differences between the two concerts lie within the venue and opening acts, I was accompanied both times by my good friend, and editor of the Triangle’s Arts & Entertainment section, Matthew “Babyface” Coakley. The show Aug. 4 at the Foundry kicked off with openers GYMSHORTS followed by co-headliners HUNNY and finally the band of the hour, the Frights.
After a great set by GYMSHORTS, all six members of HUNNY made their way to the stage and started their set with “Natalie.” The following few tracks were all songs I was unfamiliar with but soon enough my excitement went through the roof as I heard the intro of the Cars’ “Just What I Needed.” Only a select few in the crowd knew the song and the others might never find out considering the band claimed it was “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. While this takes the cake for the highlight of the set, their performance of “Cry For Me” is a close second. After a few more songs, HUNNY ended it with their new single “Vowels,” allowing The Frights to take the stage.
The crowd cheered at the sight of Mikey Carnevale, Marc Finn and Richard Dotson sauntering onto the stage. They greeted their fans and without delay went right into “Crust Bucket,” setting the energy high for the rest of the show. The band performed about half the songs off their album “You Are Going to Hate This” including “Kids,” a sweet rendition of “Tungs” and my personal favorite, “All I Need.” The Frights sang a rocking cover of Weezer’s “Undone – The Sweater Song” at their previous Philly show so their choice to cover the Billy Idol classic “Dancing With Myself” this time around was a pleasant change of pace.
Although there was a convincing “NO MOSHING” sign printed on a small piece of paper at the entrance of the venue, it couldn’t stop the inevitable ripples in the sea of people. The first instance in which security got involved resulted in Carnevale insisting to the guards that no one was going to get hurt and asking the crowd, “Who promises not to hurt anybody?” Security left the fans alone after seeing everyone raise their hands in response, and the show went on. The second time around, security was a bit more relentless and began escorting a fan out of the venue when Carnevale interrupted the show once again, pleading to let the fan stay. He apologized to security, adding that the fan “didn’t see the sign” which got a big laugh from the crowd. It was more than obvious that all the security guards were fed up but Carnevale still managed to win the case for the lucky fan.
In addition to the tunes on “You Are Going to Hate This,” The Frights played various tracks from “The Frights,” “Dead Beach” and “Fur Sure.” I was expecting to strain my vocal cords during “Makeout Point,” but unfortunately, Carnevale only let out a hushed “woah” instead of the recurring scream in the chorus. Despite that, I found myself earnestly jamming out during “Crust Bucket,” “Kids,” “You Are Going to Hate This” and “Submarines” (how could anyone resist?). The band announced the show was coming to an end after they performed “Beach Porn,” which led to the crowd losing all control, pushing forward the divider between them and the stage.
What stood out to me the most was that the Frights ended their set at the same level of energy they started with, making it an all-around exceptional show. I find that seeing the same artist multiple times is risky business, as you will inevitably compare one show to the other. That being said, I enjoyed the Frights just as much this time around as I did last time, and I’m already planning to see them again in November with SWMRS and FIDLAR at Union Transfer. I highly recommend whoever’s reading this to do the same.