Go For The Opener: Ganglians at Empty Bottle before Wavves
The Ganglians are getting all dressed up for you to come out early tonight.
Welcome to Go For the Opener, in which we at The A.V. Club plead that if you’re getting ready to see a big concert, be sure to get there early and pay attention to the opening acts.
The big show: Wavves, Empty Bottle, Sun., Sept. 20, 10 p.m.
The openers: Ganglians and Old Fake
Why you should listen: Wavves captured the attention of listeners with infectious, bright pop slathered in layer after layer of noise, fuzz, and lo-fi production. But openers Old Fake don’t even come close to having the same production quality. The Chicago band mashes Raconteurs-style hooks with Tom Petty-style guitar solos for straightforward, no frills rock ’n’ roll.
However, the primary reason to get there early and pay attention is Ganglians, Wavves’ labelmates on Woodsist. Ganglians have released two albums this year: a self-titled EP and Monster Head Room. Their discography features a handful of short, fuzzy psych-pop songs, but the rest show a level of prolific pop songwriting on par with Brian Wilson. (Although a song called “Radically Inept Candy Girl” isn’t going to earn the same credibility as “California Girls.”) Even when they’re louder and more aggressive, Ganglians’ songs show far more virtuosity and emotion than Wavves’ always reliable go-to blend of reverb and noise. Perhaps the more tender songs are aided by Ganglians’ willingness to turn the volume down every once in a while.
