MOON Springs into March with a Dream-like Night of Music
The Freqs enthralling the audience with their energetic set. Photo provided by Abbie Roux.
MOON Base One’s March 1 show was a night that will not be forgotten by the crowd, who was weaved into a tapestry of distorted sound curated by bands The Freqs, Dropbear, and Petal Dance.
Opening the night and amping up the crowd, North Shore based psychedelic/noise-rock band The Freqs took the stage and took no time jumping straight into their set and getting the audience moving. A symphony of distorted guitars and thundering drum beats that thumped their way through your body, The Freqs immediately captivated audiences, with the crowd immediately head-banging along to their captivating set. Lead singer, Seth Crowell, was able to instantly pull the audience in with his aggressively powerful vocals that was amplified by his exhilarating guitar, which delivered such a thrilling sound that I could feel the vibrations in my jaw. Part-way through their set, Zack Fierman on drums announced to the crowd that Crowell had just had his first child a couple weeks prior, and the audience cheered on their love and congratulations to the new father. Fierman’s joyful announcement is just one example of the wonderful chemistry between this band, who individually delivered dynamic sounds that together blended seamlessly, with them delivering laughs and warm smiles to one another as they bounced around the stage, seeming at times to forget the audience was even there. The audience, however, will not forget The Freqs and the intoxicating performance they delivered to MOON Base One.
Dropbear performing their dreamy set for the audience. Photo provided by Abbie Roux.
Boston based alternative rock/shoegaze band Dropbear was next to the stage, and transported the audience from the previous psychedelic rock set into a dream-like world of sound. One of the first things I noticed about their performance was the entrancing sound of their lead vocals, delivered by Rachel Lauren, who pulled me in like a siren’s song with her hypnotic, ethereal voice that delivered their sound in a way that sounded both light and powerful. Accompanied by the hazy, distorted guitar tones and drums and bass that matched together to augment their sound, Dropbear’s set was one that made me feel like my feet were glued to the floor, entirely entranced by their passionate, otherworldly music. I personally can’t wait to be mesmerized by them once again at future MOON shows. Before closing out their set, Lauren praised the venue, emphasizing the importance of the community that has blossomed alongside it, stating, “Thank you for the space, thank you for making it safe. Community is everything, it’s all we have.”
Petal Dance closing out the night with a captivating set. Photo provided by Abbie Roux.
The final set of the night was delivered by Massachusetts shoegaze band Petal Dance. During the final sets, the best thing a band can do is get the crowd captivated and engaged late into the night, and Petal Dance did just that with their thrilling set. Their set was entirely intoxicating, transforming the venue into a dome of hazy, distorted guitar and thundering drums. The dynamic vocals that dripped with emotion matched with their mesmerizing instrumentals made it feel like you were floating in space, entirely transported for this brief time. Petal Dance delivered the kind of music that you think about for days after, with their hypnotic sound that can only be summed up as shoegaze at its core. I found myself moving along to the set without even realizing and accidentally bumping into the crowd in the process, and Petal Dance made me forget that there was anyone else around me with how engrossed I was in their set. I truly cannot wait to see what they do in the future and hope to see them at future MOON shows.
I had been incredibly excited for this show, as alternative rock and shoegaze are two of my personal favorite genres, and the bands did not disappoint. Instead, they all gained a new loyal fan in me. If you’re interested in discovering riveting local artists, check out MOON’s “shows” page for upcoming performances.
Additional photos from the night. From left to right: The Freqs (images 1 and 2), Dropbear (images 3 and 4), and Petal Dance (images 5 and 6). All photos provided by Abbie Roux.