It’s a Tuesday night in the dive bar, Barboza, located in the basement of Neumos, one of Seattle’s spots for up-and-coming artists. It’s a full crowd of dedicated ALVVAYS fans sprinkled in with a few hipsters simply there for a good time. The stage is not much, but maybe that’s part of the appeal. The opening act, Absolutely Free seems to pleasantly surprise the audience with its quirky and experimental music and sets the bar high for the evening.
Lead singer Molly Rankin comes out on stage, immediately giving everyone a nice warm and fuzzy feeling when she gives a shout out to the lucky barista she had convinced to come see the show. As each song went by, the band loosened up more and more. They got the crowd dancing with their surfer undertones brought out by Rankin, and Alec O’Hanley on the guitar and Kerri MacLellan with her 80’s dad glasses and keyboard.
Overall, ALVVAYS has a sweet indie-pop point of view that resonates with your everyday eclectic music lover. They may lack some chemistry on stage, but their individual talents are indisputable. As they progress and grow as a band, it is no doubt their style will solidify.
