Story and Photos: Spencer Fleming
So as I was leaving the Joy Formidable show at the Waiting Room (11/2) and heading back to my car I happened to walk by the Reverb. As I typically do, I peaked in to see who was playing. I remembered that earlier in the evening my friend John mentioned The Illuminati Hotties were headlining and that Pitchfork had been hyping up their latest release giving it an 8 out of 10 review. To paraphrase John, "Ya know when Pitchfork is all up a band's butt they start to get a lot of buzz".
In a constant effort to try and diversify my musical tastes I stopped in to see what all the fuss was about. Ironically I'm sitting here listening to a 20 year old Coheed & Cambria album, but hey, I've reported on some fresh bands this year, right? Knocked Loose, Beach Bunny, Dropout Kings, Yungblud, the list goes on.
Anyways, when I walked into Reverb I was pleasantly surprised with the sweetheart pop-punk sounds The Illuminati Hotties were throwing down! I saw a post describing the band's sound as "Tenderpunk" and I'd have to agree. While the lyrics reveal a little darker subtext of bad breakups, college angst, and even a bit of political unrest the tunes are sugary bliss. Being that I was just passing by I missed a good chunk of the beginning but I had a blast twisting through the crowd to the surf-y, jangly bops.
After the set I got to talk with Illuminati Hotties brainchild Sarah Tudzin for a minute. I let her know I really enjoyed their sound and that I was glad I stumbled in from the street, literally. It was a really nice bonus to an already great evening. If you get the chance check out Illuminati Hotties on all streaming platforms!
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The Joy Formidable Gets Cozy At The Waiting Room!
