STRFKR comes alive @ Newport Music Hall
columbus, ohio - april 24, 2024
Eager fans crowded into Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH to see indietronica band STRFKR perform live. The band filed on stage slowly to a recorded backing track as excitement buzzed through the venue. Suddenly, the stage lit up and the upbeat introduction of “While I’m Alive” seemed to burst through the speakers.
The opening track set the tone for the show, with STRFKR pulling out all the stops. Between the silver-clad dancers on stage, wild bright lights, to finally the tube men and explosion of confetti above the audience, STRFKR knew how to engage with the crowd. The next song, “Together Forever,” kept up the fun vibes — the show felt like a party.
Josh Hodges, the lead singer, proceeded to thank the audience for coming before moving into the next track, “Kahlil Gibran.” Hodges sang lyrics such as “Turn off the sun tonight / The stars look so much better” to an impressive guitar backdrop. By then, the atmosphere had shifted to having a dreamier quality, with colorful animations rolling on the screen behind the band featuring animals such as elephants or sting rays.
The fourth song of the night, “Under Water / In Air” was one of the highlights. At the beginning, the lighting was a wash of blues and greens, giving an illusion like the band was actually submerged under water. The lighting continued to contribute to the performance in “Leaving,” when midway through the song, a smoky haze emerged around the band and white lighting gave the appearance that they could be among clouds.
STRFKR then transitioned smoothly into their next number, “Never The Same.” Cheers erupted mid-song before the repeating line of the chorus, “What I don’t know about love?"
The seventh song, “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” is the band’s most popular track and was perhaps the most anticipated play of the evening. STRFKR exceeded expectations during its performance. During the last instance of the repeating chorus, it seemed that Hodges changed the notes of “All my life, there you go / Oh please stay, just this once / Anyway” to differ from the recorded version. To top off the already stellar rendition of “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” the tube men inflated again and the band released a second bout of confetti.
STRFKR held strong with “Mystery Cloud,” producing another number that quickly energized the audience. Part way through, the crowd began to clap to the beat, enhancing the performance. After the song ended, they moved into “German Love” then “Hard Smart Beta,” two songs off of their original self-titled album Starfucker. Despite the songs being over fifteen years old, there were no signs that the audience was unfamiliar with them.
During “Sazed,” there would be no better way to describe the atmosphere than that it was arcade-esque with chaotically colorful lights and smooth electronic beats midway through the song.
“Armatron” pumped up the venue before a more mellow track, “Golden Light.” Tranquil footage of trees displayed on the screen, creating a fully immersive song experience.
While the slower, peaceful vibes of “Golden Light” were certainly enjoyed, STRFKR continued their rollercoaster of a show by playing “Lot Of Nice Things” next. Another of the night’s high points, the audience was thrilled at the layered vocals throughout the song.
Subsequently, Hodges thanked the crowd once again, and sweetly gave context that the next song, “Julius,” was named after his grandfather. He clearly put his heart and soul into the performance, moving the audience. His passionate rendition gave the show a burst of momentum, and the next song played, “Open Your Eyes,” was another standout. The entire crowd danced and jumped throughout the performance, and to hype up the crowd even more, one of the backup dancers (now wearing a spacesuit) leapt off the stage to crowdsurf.
What can be one of the most exciting moments during shows is when an artist plays a surprise cover song, showcasing versatility. STRFKR did just that with their cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Their version resembled Lauper’s own, meaning the crowd could happily sing along, but STRFKR also clearly put their own spin on the track.
During “Atlantis,” no one could’ve stopped the audience from dancing even if they’d tried. STRFKR had worked throughout the show to build up the atmosphere, and by then the crowd was practically electric. Confetti shot out from the cannons more times than could be counted, and the waving, smiling tube men made a couple more appearances as well. For the final song before the encore, STRFKR played a mashup of “Medicine,” “Millions,” and “Quality Time.” After that noteworthy (supposed) ending, the band calmly walked off the stage.
The audience could not be silenced, and when the band reappeared they roared with excitement. The songs played during the encore were “Chizzlers,” “Pop Song,” and “Bury Us Alive.” STRFKR also brought out one of the openers, Ruth Radelet, to sing with them for the encore.
Their show in Columbus was midway through the tour in support of their newest album, Parallel Realms, released in March of this year.
