CHRIS FARREN
$20/$24
Paid
On his Polyvinyl debut Born Hot, Chris Farren opens with a question he’ll spend much of the album trying to answer: Why do I feel out of place in my own outer space? Telegraphing his inner narrative with a childlike candor, the Florida-born artist lays bare his most intense anxieties and — in the very same breath — documents the mildly soul-crushing minutiae of everyday life: the strange indecency of blasting AC/DC bangers through an iPhone speaker, the inexplicable bleakness of a Starbucks franchise tucked inside a Target. But with his irrepressible sense of humor and utter lack of self-seriousness, Farren defuses the pain of even the deepest insecurity, gracefully paving the way for pure pop catharsis.
On Born Hot, Farren fully embodies the sensitive-goofball dichotomy found in all his work, especially his exuberant live show: a solo performance in which he plays to live-recorded backing tracks while projecting purposely wacky visuals (his own face duplicated thousands of times, text that reads “ANOTHER PERFECT SET” at the end of each closing song). By the same token, Farren went full-on tongue-in-cheek in choosing Born Hot’s title and cover art — a crudely drawn self-portrait that captures him lounging shirtless, looking every bit the ’70s-pop Lothario.
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Diners is the name humbly attributed to the West Coast pop, rock & roll outfit led by song troubadour Blue Broderick (she/they). For the past 10 years, Blue has been zipping around the country in a minivan on self-booked tours, singing remarkably sincere and catchy pop-rock songs with a trusting and playful twinkle in the eye. On her newest album Four Wheels and the Truth, Blue spills her inner thoughts, dreams, and anxieties with newfound strength & vulnerability. This is the first album that Blue has released since becoming more open about her trans identity and it beams with self-acceptance, humor, and heart. There’s an old saying that a country song is just ‘three chords and the truth’ and here Diners winks at that truism, with a twist that applies it to the romance of the open road and a life spent speeding across it. The music on Four Wheels and the Truth owes more to AM Gold, Harry Nilson & gentle Power Pop than to the history of Country music, but simplicity and honesty were major pillars of the record. Four Wheels is a rock & roll record, a sing-a-long record, a brave record, a plea for loving community, an inner/outer dream cruise, a testament to the non-binary realities abound. It shreds, and the truth is, it’s coming out on June 10th on Lauren Records. – Zach Burba
Additional Details
Age Restrictions - All Ages
Supporting Acts - DINERS
Door Time - 07:00 PM
Show Time - 08:00 PM
