Show Review: Typhoon at Mohawk

Ashley Murphy
Shows We Went To0 Comments41 views

By Ashley Murphy

Typhoon Mohawk

Rain splashed into the reflection of buildings that line Red River street, each drop joining the puddles that filled the space in between the stage and the bar at the Mohawk. 7:30 p.m. arrived and suddenly, the rain stopped short on its journey to the ground, settling on the hooded heads of impassive fans, ready to brave Austin’s unfamiliar cold to see Portland indie rock act Typhoon take the venue’s outdoor stage.

Fellow Portland-natives Sunbathe warmed up the crowd with a set of dark pop, fighting numb fingers to allow smooth guitar riffs to glide beneath sweet and soft vocals before the second opener, pop-rock band, Bad Bad Hats bounced along with the crowd to their own set of upbeat tunes accompanied by airy vocals.

Before long, the crowd cheered in unison as eight band members tightly filled the Mohawk’s small stage and with an enthusiasm that made the lack of space slip one’s mind, tore into the first verse of their track reminiscent of a lost childhood, “Common Sentiments.”

Despite their opening song being from their 2013 release White Lighter, the band’s current tour is in support of their newest body of work, Offerings, released at the beginning of this year. Continuing the theme of somber tones and existential lyrics of Typhoon’s past works, Offerings explores the idea of searching for a general truth that humans can hold onto when their memories begin to dwindle in synchronization with their remaining years of life.

Along with the album, the band released an excerpt encouraging the readers and listeners to “imagine [themselves] at the end of [their lives]” in which memories “visit [them] in fragments” and they must find “one simple truth that will pay for everything.” After setting the scene for the world which they are about to enter, Typhoon tells the readers to press play on the album, as the opening dark, yet hopeful track “Wake” leads the way in guiding them through this journey.

The band performed this introduction, as well as a few other note-worthy songs from the new album including the two singles, “Rorschach” and “Darker.” Despite the interconnectedness of Offerings constructed by the band for a complete and consecutive listening experience, Typhoon’s set was equally interspersed with the old and new, performing songs like “Summer Home,” dating back to their first EP A New Kind of House released in 2011.

Despite the gravity of the band’s lyrical content, the show was anything but grave.

The stage was chockfull of an ever-present warmth provided by smiles of comradery that inevitably seeped out into the crowd, a proposal between two fans was announced by the band as they averted the crowd’s attention to the couple and celebrated joyously, and throughout the set, the band displayed a deep appreciation for the crowd’s unfaltering energy.

“’The Honest Truth!’” wasn’t the only overpowering shout from a fan, hoping to have one of their suggestions played spontaneously.

“Hey, I know that song,” lead singer, Kyle Morton, joked. “The thing about concerts is you just never know what’s gonna happen.”

The next suggestion, however, seemed to land successfully.

“Did I hear someone say ‘Young Fathers’?” Morton laughed and added, “sure, we can do that,” and the band seamlessly broke into the distinctive sharp guitars of the intro to their song “Young Fathers,” which was already next on the setlist.

The band thanked the crowd and left the stage before returning to play one final track from White Lighter entitled “Artificial Light.” The crowd yelled along passionately to a series of “o’s” that ends the song as the members of Typhoon smiled wide, grateful smiles that carried the now-familiar warmth of the stage through Austin’s chilly night air.

SETLIST:

Common Sentiments

Hunger and Thirst

Rorschach

Summer Home

Prosthetic Love

Possible Deaths

Remember

CPR / Claws Pt. 2

Wake

Empiricist

Young Fathers

Encore:

Artificial Light