Isaac and the Awkward Situations

I was able to attend Project Pabst last July. Many great bands were playing but it was Soccer Mommy and Big Thief who made this show important to me.

Soccer Mommy’s music meant a lot to me when I was low, though I prefer her older songs, recorded more simply, her new stuff is good too and her band played very well. The stage was decorated with a lo fi video tape look from a projection, her band name in huge letters, but cars driving and waving palm trees. Footage taken from cars by a naive filmmaker, the scenery of California going by, the rearview mirror: it fit her music well I thought.

Her style has been called “bubble grunge.” I think she’s got honest stark lyrics that are inspirational and seem confessional. She reminds me of Elliott Smith. Her 2018 album “Clean” is solid throughout. With “Scorpio Rising” and “Still Clean” being standouts, I was psyched that she played them live. “Yellow is the color of her eyes” is my favorite on “Color Theory.” “Try” and “Death by Chocolate” “Henry” are charming and sound like they could be from a scene I could be a part of. They are more naive and kimya Dawson or Daniel Johnston like in their lo fi recording aesthetic. She’s made several new albums since Color Theory, and I clearly have some homework to catch up on. Here are some drawings of the show. Took me 11 months to finish them. These pieces ended up very “mixed Media” with watercolors, alcohol markers, gel pens and paint markers.

Here’s a closeup with detail on Sophie. She wore real baggy pants for this show.

Guitarist Rodrigo Avendano played synth too.