Concert Review: The Coathangers Smoke Up MHOW
Walking to the Coathangers show, I saw a PACKED, smokers’ section. I had never seen so many people lighting a cig together. Meanwhile, inside, people were playing games for knick-knacks, which also felt rare. Both scenes matched, exactly, the aesthetic of The Coathangers. At MHOW, they were cigarettes and games fused into music.
With Dax Exclamationpoint presenting them, the night was going to be a fierce DRAG! Moreover, how their lights and guitars flashed, I thought Beetlejuice was going to pop out, of which Rusty, Crook Kid, and Minnie felt like three versions of Lydia Deets. Stylistically, they are cool outcasts; bringing a retro glam to their futuristic, punk style. Their ability to be confidently chaotic is super liberating to their audience, and makes their concert feel surreally affronting. Who would not want to bash around and tell the world to “F**K OFF!”? This dynamic is what they represent through tracks like, “Hey Buddy,” “F The NRA,” and “Shut Up.”
When you realize how much BS goes into being horrible, you get the strength to call it out; hence, my cigarettes and games reference. Smoking is often connected to anxiety, and games are used for fun. From “Lithium” to “Wipeout,” Julia Kugel-Montoya’s voice felt like fear and fun were clashing. She emotes her notes as if she is embodying every time you had ENOUGH of the world, and decided, instead, to have a blast. At times, we believe someone is truly “over” a situation when they breakdown, but it is actually when you give into a moment that you truly are OVER IT! The Coathangers gave into their MHOW crowd, and I would not be surprised if they went for a cigarette break.
I witnessed it as A Place To Bury Strangers, and I saw it at The Coathangers; punk is an emotional purge. For some, sage and silence is necessary to get clarity, but The Coathangers melodies were pure noise and it achieved the same result for their fans. It was if acknowledgment pain comes in a garage rock chord. For More Information On The Coathangers Click Here.
