Attending a FIDLAR show is not for the faint of heart–these four 20-something skate punks inspire a real rock n roll show experience from the second you get your hand stamped at the door. For those not familiar with the band, FIDLAR hails from LA and includes Zac Carper, Brandon Schwartzel, Max Kuehn, and Elvis Kuehn. They began when Zac and Elvis met at a recording studio and started jamming out. The chemistry was immediate, so Elvis recruited his brother, Max, for the drums, while Zac brought in Brandon, his roommate, for bass and thus FIDLAR was born. The boys quickly began recording and putting out EPs such as DIYDUI and singles such as “Cheap Beer” that quickly showed the scene that these DIY-loving goons were not messing around. FIDLAR went on to release two full lengths, their self titled FIDLAR (2013) and TOO (2015), on Mom and Pop records. After going on tour with METZ , and playing an awesome show at the 9:30 club back in May, FIDLAR returned to DC to a crowd of eager fans ready to go crazy at the Black Cat. Following a rad opening set from Australian band Dune Rats, FIDLAR took the stage.
The pit quickly formed as soon as “No Waves” began to blast from the speakers flanking the stage. Before the second verse even began those at the front were drenched in sweat. Seriously, by the time “Cheap Beer” came on everyone in the pit looked like they had just been sprayed with a hose. I could even tell the security guard was jamming, at least when he wasn’t hoisting the many crowd surfers off the stage. After ripping through some of my favorite songs, such as “stoked and broke” and “white on white”, the dudes transitioned to “40 oz on repeat” from their sophomore TOO. TOO was released on September 4th, 2015 and kept with the style of their first album. TOO, however, expressed greater themes of growing up and dealing with greater issues, as seen on “Sober” and “Leave me alone”. The crowd kept its momentum as they kicked, danced, and crowd-surfed as “Punks” and “Drone” were performed. Beyond the pit even the more tame show goers were screaming all the lyrics and rocking out some of the best dance moves you’ll see at Black Cat.
Before they closed out, Zac Carper puzzled the crowed when he asked us all to “chill out and sit down.” I quickly remembered him doing this at 9:30 before, but the others around me were rather confused as they had never been asked to sit down at a rock show. Soon the entire crowd was sitting indian style on the sweaty and sticky floor littered with crushed beer cans and abandoned plastic water cups. The beginning riffs of “Cocaine” began to play. “Just chill you guys,” Zac calmly told us, “you’ll know when to get back up”. As soon as the song kicked in the crowd sprang back up and went ballistic for the rest of the set. I must’ve gotten smacked in the face at least twice while rocking to Zac screaming “cocaine running round in my brain.” The four finished up and left the stage as “I believe I can fly” started to play while adoring fans tried to scramble on to the stage to grab the set list.
Overall, the show was fantastic and a great experience for those who love to get sweaty and crazy. FIDLAR has great fans who really get excited for them, guaranteeing a fun concert experience every time. If you haven’t heard them check them out here, and I hope to see you guys rocking out with me the next time they are in town!
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