The Front Bottoms finished off two back-to-back shows last week at Roadrunner, marking the end of the second leg of their North American tour. Joined by hometown heroes, Vundabar, The Front Bottoms are on tour to celebrate the release of their sixth studio album You Are Who You Hang Out With, which was released this past summer on Fueled by Ramen.
Born out of New Jersey and laissez-faire style of working, The Front Bottoms were founded by Brian Sella and Mat Uychich in 2006 and went on to become a staple of the DIY and indie rock scene. The duo co-opted a minimalist sound using just an acoustic guitar and drums, focusing mostly on the energy and delivery of Sella’s lyrics and delivery to drive the music. The band released several collections of music over five years before signing with Bar/None Records and releasing their self-titled debut album in late 2011, which propelled them to the forefront of indie rock. The band toured relentlessly following their self-titled, and released their sophomore follow-up, Talon of the Hawk, less than two years later. The unparalleled success of their sound led up to a record deal with famed label, Fueled by Ramen, in 2015.
Hot off the heels of their first night in Boston, the band came right out the gate with incredible energy and a brand new setlist for the new crowd. The recorded sound of rain plays over the speakers as Sella sings the opening lines to “West Virginia,” from their 2015 release, Back on Top. The band bangs away while the crowd screams the lyrics back; “Love of my life, gone forever. Love of my life, gone for good.”
Wasting no time with the crowd, Sella goes immediately into the next song – one of their earliest hits, “Maps.” Everybody on stage and on the floor bounce to the beat of Uychic’s disco-style drums while the old and new fans sing along to the iconic track. The band, as is tradition, encouraged the crowd participation of the latter half of the song, providing a call-and-response to Sella’s vocals. “There is a map in my room, on the wall of my room, and I’ve got big, big plans,” sings the band with the crowd yelling back in response with nearly enough energy to drown the band out.
The whole evening held an exciting mix of old and new, with production value that surprisingly compliments the performance. Some older fans would argue that the band has sold-out, but I would argue that they grew up and scaled up to make every show the best possible show for their audience. The increased production value doesn’t take away from the core premise of Sella and Uychich at the end of the day, both of whom are just two goofy guys from New Jersey that love making music together. Sella even noted early on in their performance that his pant’s fly had been down for the first few songs, chuckling with the crowd at the silly circumstance.
The Front Bottoms are currently on a brief break before they start the final leg of their N. American tour with Slothrust, including two days at When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas.
