There are few things deeper than the emotional connection that you make through music. Especially if that music touches a nerve and refuses to let go. Such is the case of the Antlers and TŌTH, two musical acts whose intense and emotive lyrics have an incredible hold on their fans, of which I am certainly one. Having first seen the Antlers over a decade ago and been completely immersed in TŌTH's music the past few weeks, I thought I was prepared for the emotional roller-coaster I was set to experience at Lincoln Hall on a toasty Monday night. Honestly, I was woefully under-prepared by how affected I would be by the musicians that night.
That emotional; connection was on full display almost immediately as TŌTH, Alex Toth and Alegra Heart for this tour, got on stage and overheard a member of the crowd preparing themself to ugly cry during the set. He seemed to smile and put that remark in his pocket for later as the pair started off with "Song to Make You Fall in Love with Me." The song is transformed live from its slower more haunting sound to an almost hopeful jaunt.
"This next song is "Not Broken"... oh no that's later this is "No Reason."" That little misstep made the longing and introspective qualities of "No Reason" all the more beautiful and alluring as Toth serenaded the crowd with lines that hit harder and harder with every passing moment. Toth croons "I wanna love, I wanna be touched, but softly at first" before picking up his trumpet and adding another sonic layer to the already engulfing vibe.
Throughout the set both Toth and Heart invited the crowd to sing sections of songs with the band and danced on stage, no matter how despondent the lyrics could get. "Picture of You," which chronicles the difficult feelings one get post breakup, had the pair at their most energetic. About halfway through the set, Toth asked the crowd about that "ugly cry" comment, acknowledging the effect his music can have, and had the entire crowd mimic their own ugly cry for a video he totally wasn't going to post online. He then slipped into "Spiraling," the very song the audience member thought they would start ugly crying to.
TŌTH's set was all about love, especially as he ended the set with "Not Broken," probably the brightest spot of the night. Toth and Heart led the song so joyously, immediately and spirited that may have been deep in their feelings. "You not broken, your just lost in emotions," he joyfully belted out to the dancing crowd and nothing could have been truer in that moment.
After that fun and wild set, the tone shifted quite heavily. It's by design, The Antlers sound is certainly a departure from that TŌTH, aiming for a more quiet and meditative atmosphere. The crowd was more than ready for it as they mirrored that feeling right back at Peter Silberman and Michael Lerner as they took the crowd even deeper into their feelings.
Unlike when I first saw The Antlers at Lincoln Hall all those years ago where some over eager fans with a few too many drinks in them interrupted the show, this set was a perfect encapsulation of the kind of show you want from The Antlers and their fans. So quiet you could hear a pin drop, or more like a muffled whimpers as songs like "Sylvia", which had Alex Toth back on stage, and "Intruders" sent audience members back to where they first felt the heavy motions they associate with the songs.
I held out letting myself cry along with the rest of the crowd as long as I could but once Silberman left his guitar on its stand and moved off to the keys at one end of the stage, I knew I was done. "No Widows" and it's revolving around an unbearable loneliness crashed into the contrasting "Kettering", a song full of heartache and pain that can only come with connecting to someone else. That one-two-punch would have been enough to complete send even the strongest fan in crowd into tears, but adding in a slowed down version of "Bear" that emphasized the devastating pregnancy metaphor. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as we all mouthed the words to every line in the songs.
The Antlers gave the crowd another sad and somber staple with "Putting the Dog to Sleep", leaving the grieving Lincoln Hall alone with their feelings only for a few fleeting moments before returning for the encore. "Parade" led into the sole Green to Gold song of the night "Porchlight" before capping the night off with Alex Toth in tow again for "Ashima". Silberman noted the songs message of peace and that he would be thinking of the people of Palestine while performing it. In an evening full of ugly crying, it was a beautiful and hopeful send off.
All photos by Julian Ramirez.
