Show Review: Slow Hollows

Justyn and I entered The Teragram Ballroom tired, hungry, and a little unsure of what to expect from the night. We settled down a bit after getting a grilled cheese from the bar and began people watching in the lobby. On Nov. 4th, millennials, moms and even Maya Rudolph found themselves at Slow Hollows’ record release. The chilly November night brought out restless and eager concertgoers for Slow Hollows’ new album.

To introduce a night full of sick tunes and good vibes, the Teragram Ballroom welcomed the opening band, Boyo. Boyo succeeded in energizing the crowd with crescendo sounds and attention to detail in their performance. Their set was loud and lo-fi, with a heavy emphasis on the use of reverb. Popular songs featured “Machines,” “Alright,” and “Control,” a somber yet wavy song with powerful use of bass and ride on the drums. 

Following Boyo’s performance, The Buttertones came out with a retro sound that reminded me of “Wipe Out” by Surfaris or 1950s band The Shadows. The band featured an eery saxophonist mixed in with lead vocals that could transition from deep and monstering to a delicate falsetto. The Buttertones’ mesmerizing instrumentation got the crowd swarming, a mosh forming with several bodies surfing the crowd and few running up on stage. “Baby Doll” had an “Earth Angel” vibe that really resonated among the crowd, with audience members in a sway.

Both Boyo and The Buttertones succeeded in setting an apparent mood for the night. Upon finishing their set, The Buttertones left only for awaited Slow Hollows to enter. The band took to the stage with an introduction of vintage visuals of a movie scene in black and white and began their set with song “Spirit Week.” Slow Hollows performed a majority of their songs from the highly anticipated and newly released album Romantic as well as old tunes from I’m Just As Bad As You Are. 

The melancholy of Romantic was evident through Austin Feinstein’s roughly deep and distinct voice. Slow Hollows played a consistent and cohesive set, their new album opening the crowd up to a sense of enlightenment through strong lyrics. Song “Romantic” gave a sense of confrontation, with lyric “And I think my opinion is fine, and I think your opinion is blind,” relevant today in a world with of miscommunication. Slow Hollows connected with their audience well and the crowd responded energetically with their music. Slow Hollows’ record release proved to be a solid night, and a good direction the band is going towards.

WHITNEY LEVINE, INTERN