The Frights bring “Ready When You Are” tour to the Fremont Theater
As the annual holiday parade overtook downtown San Luis Obispo on the night of Friday, Dec. 5, I waited in line for doors to open at the Fremont Theater. Surrounded by a crowd of people in eyeliner and Dr. Martens, it felt a bit ironic to be listening to the jingle of Christmas music. The teenage boys behind me, drowning in giant JNCO shorts that almost reached their ankles, panicked about the no-belt-through-security rule.
These people weren’t here for Santa.
After a long run on the road following the release of their sixth studio album, “Ready When You Are,” The Frights took the stage in San Luis Obispo for the last leg of their album tour. Since their debut in 2012, the San Diego-based band has played in San Luis Obispo multiple times. They reflected on their early days during the concert, reminiscing on how they would camp along the Central Coast and play house shows.
The first opener, colorful, pop-forward indie band Buddha Trixie, immediately brought high energy, kicking things off with “R U DOWN” at around 8 p.m. The lead singer Daniel Cole, wearing a T-shirt that read, “I wanna smoke with Spencer Shay from iCarly,” danced goofily across the stage, inviting the audience to get dancing too.
Liily followed, a post-punk alternative band that quickly primed the moshers and packed the pit. Bathed in dark red light, their performance felt intense and unrelenting. Their cover of Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” sent eager heads banging across the crowd – mine included.
Excitement was thick in the air as the crowd waited for the main attraction. Audience members traded stories. Some had been following The Frights since their humble beginnings in the local scene back home in San Diego. Others were attending to throw themselves around and blow off some steam before finals the next week. As the four band members stepped onto the stage and picked up their instruments, screams rippled through the room.
The set opened with “Kids”, and at the first strum, bodies began to jump. The band brought the beachy, angsty surf-rock vibe that I wasn’t aware I was so nostalgic for until I heard it. It wasn’t long until a circle pit formed and fans of all ages were running around to “Mom’s Van.”
“Oh hell yeah,” were the first words lead singer Mikey Carnevale addressed the audience with. Between songs, he took casual swigs from a wine bottle.
As the band played their sing-along, “Whatever,” the chorus came echoing back at them, shouted enthusiastically from the pit. A few daring fans even attempted to crowd-surf, momentarily lifting above the sea of bodies.
“It’s a happy feeling to be wrapping up our tour back home on the West Coast,” Carnevale said, smiling as he looked out at the crowd.
He then pulled out a harmonica, and the band eased into a long, psychedelic intro to “Kicking Cans,” accompanied by twirling, cool-toned lights.
The entire set was a blast from start to finish, as the band wove their older hits alongside tracks from their newest album. Hearing those songs side by side made it clear how much their sound has grown without losing the energy that made people fall in love with them in the first place.
Bassist Richard Dotson on the Fremont stage / Claire Filby
After thanking the audience for a great show, the band played what was billed as their final song, “The Comfort of Someone in the Other Room.” But, as any concertgoer knows, the announced “last song” is rarely a true farewell from the band.
Following chants of “one more song,” the band returned to the stage for an encore. The night wasn’t complete without a brief, groovy cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain,” followed, of course, by the band’s biggest hit, “Tungs.” Hearing that song transported me right back to a simpler time, one where I wore slip-on Vans every day and was convinced I could learn to surf. It was honestly healing. The crowd went wild.
I left the Fremont feeling fulfilled that night. Live music can’t fix everything, but it fixes a lot. The Frights made that abundantly clear. Their new album “Ready When You Are” is out now.
