About every two years or so we get something special from Soccer Mommy, the fantastic pseudonym of Sophia Regina Allison. Since her demo album For Young Hearts came out in 2016 we've gotten a whole new album every other year and it's been a joy. Soccer Mommy's sound is a bit of a throwback to the indie rock and alternative grungy guitars of yesteryear, updated by Allison's perfectly dark and often wry lyricism. Last year's Evergreen saw a rawer and even more personal side of Soccer Mommy, making for some devastating songs. The first evening of her two-night stint with Tomberlin at Thalia Hall really underlined just how special and appreciative her audience is for every one of her releases.
I've had the pleasure of covering Tomberlin many times in the past and every single performance is a treat. With only two albums and two EPs in her discography, there are some very totemic songs that you not only expect to hear at one of her shows, but are eagerly looking forward to. "Any Other Way" and "Seventeen" are iconic staples and the former is my absolute favorite in her repertoire. It's the opening track of her debut and every time immerses the audience in her emotive and empathic song writing.
Newer tracks like "tap", "sunstruck", and her amazing cover of Casiotone for the Painfully Alones (who now goes by Advance Base) and "Natural Light" have also risen to that emblematic level in her set lists. There seems to be no end to her ability to turn every one of her songs into an essential and breathtaking experience. While a little technical difficulty meant "Hours" was cut, we got some patter with the crowd about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which more than made up for it.
With a stage dressing straight out of a midsummer fairytale, Soccer Mommy came to the stage with her signature laid-back aura front and center. The Stardew Valley-themed ode "Abigail" where Soccer Mommy seeks the attention of the romanceable NPC, started off the show and really fit the vibe as it got the crowd going. "circle the drain" followed and there was something wild about seeing the contrast between the bright, poppy instrumentals that had the crowd happily swaying away with Allison's lyrics on mental health crises. It's that sort of welcome dissonance that really makes Soccer Mommy's songs special.
Much of Evergreen is much softer than the rest of her material but live it all blends together wonderfully. You wouldn't expect the demonic themes of "Lucy" to segway into "M" and "Lost", the most personal tearjerkers in her catalog, but they really do. While most of Evergreen got highlighted throughout the night, Allison left a lot of room for her other songs to shine. The darkly loving but somewhat forlorn "Shotgun" rang just right while "Bones" had everyone bopping alone despite its sullen and heart breaking lyrics.
The latter half of Soccer Mommy's set continued that dreamlike vibe. She introduced "Henry" as "an early song, you might not like it" and dedicated it to all the Henrys in the room. As the opening track of her demo album, it's one of the first songs of hers that many of her more devoted fans have listened to and it showed as the crowd was completely taken by it. "Your Dog" established yet another high point and one that they truly grooved along with. But it was the encore with the one-two punch of the airy "Changes" and almost shoegazey "Don't Ask Me" that finished off the night and left the crowd completely entranced. Soccer Mommy's shows always feel intimate and special and this evening at Thalia Hall only further cemented those qualities.
All photos by Julian Ramirez.