Small Venues, Small Bands: Let’s talk about it.

Ela Moss / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Deep in the heart of Somerville, lies an unsuspecting music venue, disguised as a bridal event space. 

I’m not kidding. It actually is an event space typically used for weddings, dinners, or corporate events, but it doubles as a venue for bands to play small concerts. Warehouse XI, a large bare room embellished only with a bar in the corner, is flexible in ambition and reason, to say the least. But when it comes to bands who aren’t necessarily in a monetary position to reserve large venues but have the following to be going on tour, a space like this makes total sense. About 10 minutes before the opener was set to go on, there were roughly 20 people mingling, giving the large room a gymnasium-like feel. 

There was no stage, just the instruments set up against one of the walls, the crowd creating a loose semi-circle around them. Honestly, it felt empty, and false, like we’d made a wrong turn and ended up in the wrong place. But as the music started to play, my focus shifted away from the strangeness of the space to the band in front of me, and before long, I looked around, and the room had filled up. By the end of the opening set, the space was crowded, without being too compact. It was like being at a house show, but if the basement inflated and it wasn’t so cramped and sweaty. Rethinking my initial impression of the venue itself, the intimacy of the space was actually really cool, creating a very immersive concert experience. 

The closeness was ideal for The Slaps, who, although not at the beginning of their tour, were playing the first-ever live performance of their new album, Mudglimmer, which introduces a completely new sound, never explored by them before. 

As they set up slow vibrations and hums began to infiltrate the space, the band playing a voiceless, undulating introduction, reminiscent of Pink Floyd, but with a more ambient and earthy tone. Following that, they announced that the album would be played in order, in its entirety. They threw together a combination of funky upbeat rock, like the songs “Flip and Fool”, and lazy beat-centric bops, like “Filthy Sex Maneuvers” and “Compromised Dirt.” The song “Mudglimmer” introduces the new sonic dimension they’re experimenting with on this album, and “The Thaw” closes it out. I personally felt that “The Thaw” was much weaker than the opening, but it stays true to the feeling the album constructs. Another stand-out for me is “Soul’d and Settled,” a slower one that could double as a soulful sway-worthy listen or a coffee shop backdrop tune. It was clear the band members were nervously excited to be playing their new album, quiet in terms of conversation while onstage, but they killed it, convincing me so much that I’ve been listening nonstop for the last couple of weeks.

Once the album was over, the bandmates paused and looked at each other. The crowd held its breath, and they turned back and asked, “Should we play a couple more songs?” The crowd erupted in an uproar in response. The next 10 minutes were the most satisfying set any Slaps fan could hope for: their top hits from their top album, A: “Being Around,” “Cheers,” and “Where Were You Where They Were Also.” They commented on this gift to their fans, joking that everything was being handed to us on a silver platter. In its entirety, it was a really cool set that truly defined The Slaps’s sound, new and old. 

Afterward, the line for the merch table moved very slowly because not only did the majority of the small audience join the queue, but the members of each of the bands were positioned behind the table, giving each individual group that went up their own time to talk and get to know them, uniquely possible because of these bands and the space they were in. All to say, The Slaps and their openers (Shane T and Noah Pope), doubled with the intimacy of Warehouse XI, cultivated such a beautifully artistic and authentically innovative community and evening. It convinced me more than ever to experiment with new things, listen to new sounds, and go to new places, much more often. 

I’d recommend you do the same! Check out The Slaps on Spotify, and if there’s ever a concert at a venue that seems off the beaten path, don’t hesitate to try it because you might be pleasantly surprised.