Twin Peaks at 100 Club

Twin Peaks’ particular brand of garage punk/power pop is reminiscent of Pixies and The Strokes with a little dash of Supergrass thrown in for good measure, but they’re not simply mimics. Taking the best of each, they’ve doused it in their own unmistakable Chicago cool. Listening to their new album, Wild Onion, released in 2014, you won’t know if you want to lose your shoes in a mosh pit or hang out in the park drinking beers on a Sunday. There are no complaints about the music: they create a sound older than their years and make it sing afresh.

NME Awards sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka gets guests in the mood with free burgers and vodka. The crowd is definitively split into very young fans clustered front and centre of the stage, separated from the older crowd located much further back. As Twin Peaks open with Stand in the Sand, from their 20-minute first album, Sunken, some bizarre crowd surfing is initiated. With the crowd so split, there’s not really enough to surf on so the subjects are simply buoyed for a minute, then plonked down again. Numerous stage invaders linger awkwardly on stage, dancing and irritating the band. Vocalist and guitarist, Cadien Lake James, seems most irked, pushing one particularly intoxicated girl off the stage. The rest of the band are more gracious, but even guitarist Clay Frankel feels it necessary to force several interlopers off the stage. At least he jumps into the crowd after them.

From Good Lovin to Fade Away to Strawberry Smoothie, this is a set with no filler. Powering their way through their new album, they mix it up with a cover from Today’s Hits’ What Up Dog and completely make it their own. The guitars are choppy and the drums intense and relentless throughout. Hefty, unclouded melodies sound as strong live as they do on the album, but in a DIY fashion. As they return for the encore with Boomers, they appear to forgive fans for their misdemeanours. For just one moment, there’s harmony between band and fans. The musicians, with eyes closed, obviously love performing and the audience just do what they do best. 

Tina Squatley-Thrust
Photos: Zak Macro

For further information about Twin Peaks and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Making Breakfast here: