The recent collaboration between two upbeat outfits at the forefront of indie rock, White Reaper and Spiritual Cramp, took their show on the road to play four live dates on the East Coast in support of their recent self-titled split 7” EP. This mini-tour kicked off at Brighton Music Hall on June 17, and both bands delivered electric sets that turned two united musical forces into a singular one to be reckoned with.
SMIRK, the Los Angeles-based project of Nick Vicario from Public Eye, kicked off the show with dark, driving indie rock; some songs recalled ‘80s post-punk outfits like The Cleaners from Venus, and others college rock, à la Mission of Burma or Hüsker Dü. Their energy paved the way and warmed up the audience for the first of the two fiery performances that followed.
San Francisco’s Spiritual Cramp, whose new wave, hardcore, and punk influences blend to create a unique flavor that’s all their own, commanded the stage from the second they stepped onto it — every member of the six-piece firing on all cylinders for an equally enthusiastic crowd.
Lead vocalist Michael Bingham’s wired, animated stage presence evoked the wild and unpredictable energy of ‘70s and ‘80s punk frontmen like Stiv Bators, Henry Rollins, and Iggy Pop (coincidentally, Bingham also took his shirt off halfway through the set).
The band, rounded out by bassist Mike Fenton, guitarists Jacob Breeze and Nate Punty, drummer Julian Smith, and auxiliary percussionist Jose Luna, was just as lively, charging confidently through an equal balance of songs from their 2023 self-titled LP and older cuts, including “Earth to Mike,” “Dog In a Cage,” and “I Feel Bad Bein’ Me.” For their first collaborative performance, White Reaper’s lead singer, Tony Esposito, joined Spiritual Cramp on stage to play “Whatever You Say Man.” As the two traded off vocal duties, their clear musical chemistry made for a magical and unique moment for fans of both bands.
Before leaving the stage, Bingham enthusiastically and explicitly expressed his disdain for the police and the United States government, which received cheers in response.
White Reaper came out of the gate swinging with the rollicking “I Don’t Think She Cares” after Esposito took a moment to thank the crowd for coming out to the show on a very special night in town — the final Celtics playoff game — and he even checked in throughout the night to find out the score of the game. That audience connection remained front and center as the quintet played a mix of their power pop-tinged garage rock tracks that spanned their discography, from 2015’s “Make Me Wanna Die” to “Bozo,” “Fog Machine,” and the title track from their 2023 release Asking For A Ride.
With the band’s dual guitar attack (courtesy of Esposito and Hunter Thompson), Nick Wilkerson’s punchy drumming, and Ryan Hater’s keyboard flourishes, even slower-paced songs like “Pages” came alive and took on a heavier, fuller energy in a live setting. Prior to playing perhaps their most well-known track, “Might Be Right” from 2019’s You Deserve Love, bassist Sam Wilkerson cheekily introduced it by asking, “Do any of you ever listen to the radio?”
To bring things full circle, the band brought Bingham out for the live debut of the second of their joint songs, “Shimmy” — if the amount of people singing along was any indication, it’s already a fan favorite.
After closing with a high-energy rendition of “Half Bad,” White Reaper exited without much fanfare. Despite an extended round of hooting and hollering for an encore, just like at their last headlining gig at Royale, they seem to prefer to leave it all on the stage the first time…along with a little mystery.
White Reaper Online: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | Apple Music
Spiritual Cramp Online: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | Apple Music
