REVIEW: Susto delivers intimate performance at Troubadour
Charleston-based indie rock band Susto headlined the Troubadour Friday night to promote its latest album “Ever Since I Lost My Mind.” Dealing with themes of travel and long-distance relationships, the album marks a more personal turn compared to the band’s previous works.
Singer Mel Washington opened the show for Susto with nothing more than his voice and an acoustic guitar. While his set was short, Washington took listeners on an intensely personal journey through homelessness, uncertainty and aging. At times, he would stop strumming to let his rich voice fill the room, putting the rawest version of himself on display.
When performing “Dirty Hands,” he invited Justin Osborne of Susto to join him on stage. The two exchanged dialogue about working hard to support themselves as musicians and taking pride in the sweat and labor they poured into their craft. As they sang the final chorus, the two musicians took a victory lap to celebrate the effort they each put into building their careers so that they could stand before a crowd far away from their hometowns.
Musical group Frances Cone took the stage next and switched things up with its soulful brand of indie pop. Dressed in a long robe that looked more suitable for sleeping than performing, lead singer Christina Cone weaved her impressive voice through harmonies and textured keyboards on songs like “Arizona” to create a dreamy atmosphere.
When Susto took the stage, the band seemed constrained as the small space prevented the musicians from moving. However, the intimate venue complemented Susto’s style in a way a larger venue could never replicate. Many of the band’s songs dealt with relationships and reflections in life in the American South, often making use of clumsy yet endearing imagery to get the point across.
The title track from Susto’s latest project “Ever Since I Lost My Mind” exemplified the benefits of cultivating a more intimate performance space. The quirky sentimentality of the track translated to a live setting with ease.
“If I Was” pulled back most of the band and focused on Osborne’s voice for one of the more personal moments of the evening. His voice not much louder than a whisper, the singer imagined how different his life would be if he had chosen to pursue a different career.
Osborne brushed up on his Spanish-speaking for “Esta Bien.” While one of the least complex songs performed lyrically, the track resonated with a universal message of contentment and love. Its simple, endearing message, backed by warm guitars, united the crowd singing along, whether they were fluent in Spanish or only chiming in with the titular phrase.
With its frightening and violent imagery, “Dream Girl” whisked the crowd into a nightmarish fantasy. The confusion and desperation of the song was juxtaposed with Susto’s laidback performance, creating a sense of unease that permeated the sleepy guitars.
A shout out to Los Angeles in “Home Boy” electrified the crowd during one of the standouts from the more upbeat numbers. The guitars bounced with a reliable groove, thrashing around Osborne’s steady yet charismatic vocals.
Saved for the encore, “Chillin’ on a Beach with My Best Friend Jesus Christ” offered a comical and earnest break from the usual affair between electric guitars and drums. Basked in purple light, Osborne sung with only the keyboard backing him up. This allowed for the biggest sing-along moment of the night, as the crowd and Osborne both imagined what it would be like to drink Bud Light with Jesus without a care in the world.
That awkward and down-to-earth image encapsulated what made the evening special: The band’s willingness to share itself with its fans without restraint.