04/22/2023 - TOOTHACHE, CLEAR CAPSULE, BAKESALE @ THE HIVE

cool photos courtesy of Anna.

I suppose it's time to at least start writing this. Finals/final projects are creeping up into my life and siphoning off any creative energy I have but that's alright. I had such a great time at shows this weekend and saw some sets that I'm so incredibly excited to share with you all. I'm looking into other shows for this weekend, if anyone knows of any please let me know! And as always, if you have any suggestions, ideas, bands to share, music to send, don't hesitate to dm me on Instagram or shoot me an email at [ fosterhildingmusic@gmail.com ].

I showed up at doors for once, I never really show up early. I'd just come from the Earth Day Festival at NAU and I had the girl running doors draw a turtle on my hand instead of an X. The Hive has started to become such a familiar place. Anyway, this lineup was a healthy mix of new and familiar--I hadn't heard anything of/about Bakesale or Clear Capsule but was fully prepared when I saw Bakesale's Big Muff + Rat pedal combo.

posters stolen from bands's Instagrams.

Phoenix-based band Bakesale took the stage first to a small crowd. It was a quiet show for The Hive but they still broke through the stillness with an angsty and tight sound--scratching an itch with every song so incredibly on point. The trio has found a great little pocket of their own sound, akin to Dinosaur Jr. but with the dynamicity to both border on fuzzy metal and garage post-rock. Gunner's drums are punchy, Gabe's bass passages are both driving and groovy and Ethan's guitar riffage is deceivingly grungy Ethan's reserved vocals dip into spoken word at times, but still blend perfectly with Gabe's, as well as the tone of their killer rock tunes.

Gunner's energy is also just insane. There were a few moments where I was certain something was going to break. Regardless... man, are their songs tight. Every pause and break between the bursts of meaty rock felt deliberate and perfectly rehearsed--forcing you to dance to their rhythm. At times they embraced a more dissonant sound and at others ventured into the heavier side of alternative rock--all with an exactness and unmatched energy. Nothing but coolness. Stream their single, Bakesale.

stolen from Bakesale's Instagram...

Equipment filled almost half of the room in front of the stage. I admired the enormous Big Muff and the Fairfield Circuitry pedals as Clear Capsule finished preparing their massive setup. The Hive always has red lights coming down from the ceiling--casting some interesting light over performers, but Clear Capsule brought their own blue light that emanated behind them like an eerie fog in low light. They announced their name and immediately broke into a blast of noise so heavy and crushing I could feel my chest being weighed down.

shitty photos courtesy of me.

In their cacophony of samples, keys, distortion and drums, it almost sounded like heavy machinery moving concrete into place--a devastatingly massive sound that anyone would have to be very responsible to wield. They know what they're doing. Leon's bass passages burst through later in their set with an unbeatable aggression and crunch. His and Brent's soundscapes of synth pillows and disorienting samples made their whole set feel so... guttural.

JJ's drums are so tight and crunchy you'd feel like you could take a bite out of the sound--and coupled with Bryce and Albert's massive guitar sound, they're an unstoppable force of noise. The few cleaner guitar passages that slipped through felt like a wailing reprieve over the berating of endless noise. Bryce's vocals are incredibly unique and unlike anything I've heard in shoegaze--just new. Stream their EP, Gravity Licker.

stolen from Clear Capsule's Instagram.

It's been such a cool experience seeing Toothache grow into the band that they are now--even in the past few months their sound has improved immensely, and they're only getting better. They've found their handmade spot of noise in the forest. This has nothing to do with music, but it always helps when bands are good people, and Toothache definitely are (is?). That's what makes them Flagstaff's prime gunk-gaze darling.

4Chan spits out such a unique mix of powerful drums, heavy refrains and haunting vocals. Cheyenne has really mastered her own setup--using the top boost on her Metal Muff to create a wall of sound so heavy and devastating when paired with Brighton's low end riffs. Yankee Dolly will always be my favorite, its breakdown feels so right and exact and the chorus's wall is nothing short of addictive. Toothache has really come into their own in the shoegaze revival--it's no wonder they draw in some of the biggest crowds in Flagstaff.

The last two songs were new--first a cover of Deftones's Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away), which was so true to the original despite their minimal setup. Cheyenne's twangy guitar sound fit so perfectly and Brighton's vocals stayed accurate yet still left their own impression on the song forever. If it isn't obvious, the audience went crazy for this one. Who the fuck doesn't love Deftones?

Their last song, Bare Knuckle, is easily their most ambitious and diverse yet. The intro bass feels almost Korn-ish and dissonant, and the spoken word-style vocals are a refreshing and new direction that I am always for. Kiva drives this song with its forever-changing tempo and rhythm, and Cheyenne's guitar passages are as inventive as ever. This is the song that makes me excited for the future of Toothache.

This show felt like such a treat. The turnout was small but it didn't matter, every band still blew the roof off the place in their own way each time. I'm sorry I'm not going to have a lot of good pictures from shows this weekend, I don't think anyone brought a professional camera so you're stuck with my shit photos (and whatever I could steal off of Instagram). Thanks for reading all of this shit, everyone, and please go out and support local acts. If you can't, listen to their music, I'll always post links to them.

- Foster

See Bakesale with Malls and Commiserate in support of Worlds Worst on May 16th at Linger Longer Lounge.