Black Bear filled out last weekend to celebrate the launch of Mt. Nadir’s new single ‘Knife’s Edge.’ Supported by Mr Finn and Dog God, the night was warm and pleasing – an ideal environment to release such a special song into the world.
Following up last year’s singles ‘You & Me’ and ‘24’ and their EP ‘Growing Pain’, ‘Knife’s Edge’ continues the increasing momentum that Mt. Nadir has been growing across the country. They will even be supporting Everything Everything & The Vaccines at the Tivoli this month.
Mr Finn front, Aysha, alongside her band flooded the floor with a trance of grungy sounds. The Psychedelic funk quartet readied the revelers with sonics that echoed around the walls. Among their setlist was a cheeky play of the brand new and just released track ‘Lucid Lucy.’
Dog God jumped up for a couple songs before The Mountain made an appearance. Thoroughly enjoyed every time I’ve seen them play. The bass and drumline sounded so crisp and I mention this only because the drumline wasn’t only heard in this set. Spoiler, Connor from ‘Mt. Nadir’ plays drums in ‘Dog God’ as well!
It’s important to recgonise what’s happening around us. Jaina stepped on stage wearing a badge in support of Palestine and Frankie started the show with an Acknowledgement of Country. It’s these simple things that aren’t hard to do yet even in our creative circles we don’t see them too often and it always makes me feel grounded when they happen as recognition is the very least that we can do.
Starting with ‘You & Me’ we were transported into a different place and put under the trance of The Mountain. Jumping around the stage and even into the crowd in ‘Home’ Frankie’s raw emotion while singing is so infectiously emotional and an artform to witness. Every time I’ve seen them live it’s been a real privilege to listen to the storytelling that Frankie writes and performs with the Band.
The Band unveiled and played a new song called ‘Hero Worship,’ which had a bit of a slow psychedelic twist compared and has a really fun new sound for the Band. Mt. Nadir has such a deep relationship with each other and it shows on stage. They are such a tight unit and moved from high octane rock into the deep sonics notes and meaning of the new track.
Speaking on queerness and the time it’s taken them to find themself, Frankie spoke for a minute.. “I had no connection to queer culture at the time and it felt so shameful and wrong to think of myself being in it…and now after years of conscientiously figuring myself out, finding the right people and seeing so many people smiling and giving me love is so special.”
At the end of the night it was announced they would play the first song they had ever written and that we hadn’t heard it before. Guitars and drums started playing an intro and I was wondering what was going to follow, swiftly a change of pace happened and it turned into an incredible cover of Dog Days Are Over by Florence & The Machine. Bravo.