All photos by Rob Cannon. Words by guest contributor Dan Trombly
Selling out a show on a Monday is no small feat. That’s especially true when the alternative to being in a packed, sweaty venue is enjoying the long-awaited arrival of lovely spring weather. But for a band with a following as devoted as Perfect Pussy, the weather could wait.
It only took the guitar intro to “Driver,” the opening track of last year’s Say Yes to Love, to send the eager crowds into a frenzied state. Fronting the band with joyous intensity, Meredith Graves delivered the kind of larger-than-life performance Perfect Pussy is known for. The band’s noisy hardcore sound, complete with howling keyboards and ear-piercing effects, might not suggest a show suited for singing along. But even before the relative quiet of crowd favorite “Interference Fits,” it was clear that many in the crowd invested ample time into the band since last year’s album and the 2013 demo I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling.
Perfect Pussy have a sense of humor about their success. At the merch table, a crewneck sweatshirt styled after straight-edge hardcore band merchandise cheekily declared Perfect Pussy a “Stupid Misandrist Hype Band.” It was the perfect symbol for a band unafraid to point out where the hardcore scene—and the music industry more broadly—fails to live up to the inclusivity so many seek from it.
That commitment, explicit in the furious callout of punk misogyny in “IV” and Graves’ prolific journalism, goes a long way in explaining the band’s devoted following. Monday’s show featured both a sweaty mosh pit and, emerging from it, a fan handing a clearly moved Graves a flower crown. Neither were out of place from a band that has drawn in longtime hardcore fans while still providing a welcome platform for the frustrations hardcore’s conventions does not always make room for.
Perfect Pussy’s set ended, like many others, with an extended improvisational sound engineering from keyboardist Shaun Sutkus after “Advance Upon the Real.” For this show, however, Graves welcomed Sean Gray, singer of local noise-punk band Birth (Defects), founder/owner of Accidental Guest Recordings, and operator of Is This Venue Accessible? Gray delivered a throat-shredding harsh vocal accompaniment to Graves and remained on stage for the set’s improvisational finale. Even as the rest of the band packed up their gear, the most restless slam-dancers stood transfixed as Graves, Gray, and Sutkus delivered an overwhelming aural barrage, giving way to raucous applause when Sutkus finally switched off his equipment.
It was a cathartic end for an all-around memorable show. The venue had begun filling up early with fans for local indie-rockers Baby Bry Bry and the Apologists, who delivered eminently danceable songs with typical flair. Following them, Perfect Pussy tourmates Skating Polly delivered an impressive set of headbang-worthy rock drawing on both heavy grunge and riot grrrl. The duo traded off on drums, guitar and bass. By the time Kelli Mayo plunged backwards into the crowd, the volume of cheers suggested concertgoers unfamiliar with the Oklahoma act were thoroughly won over.
