Show Review: Robert Delong with CARR
Robert Delong at Brighton Music Hall on 5.31.23, photographed by Praagna Kashyap
CARR at Brighton Music Hall on 5.31.23, photographed by Praagna Kashyap
Check out the full photo gallery from the night here!
by Juliana George
Armed with an autotuned mic, a MIDI interface connected to countless futuristic sound-modifying gadgets, and his “tiny baby boy” (an affectionate nickname for drummer-slash-stage manager Adam Phelps), Robert DeLong took to the stage May 31st with as much energy as his pulsing electronic rave music.
DeLong was slated to co-headline at Brighton Music Hall with pop rock group Dreamers but was bumped to sole headliner when Dreamers lead singer Nick Wold was called home for a family emergency. The musician stepped up to the role with grace, performing a rousing, flashy set that spanned his entire 10-year discography. The crowd was small but dedicated and they matched the chaotic aura of extraverted, cartoon-voiced DeLong perfectly.
The show was opened by CARR, a grungy LA-based pop-punk act with a TikTokified riot grrrl sound and horny, tongue-in-cheek lyrics like “You know I went to school and I got a degree / So you know that I’m a certified freak.” CARR — the stage name of singer Carly McClellan — is relatively new on the scene, but she’s already scheduled to open for Fall Out Boy later this summer, putting her on a fast track to alternative popularity. McClellan radiated cool nonchalance, from her Mathzilla T-shirt to her leg warmer-clad UNIF boots, and the audience offered appreciative nods and encouraging whoops to punctuate each sarcasm-dripping verse.
DeLong’s set began with a surreal projection of British R&B singer Seal performing his 1994 hit “Kiss from a Rose” live, randomly interspersed with clips of painter Bob Ross, adult cartoon “Rick and Morty” and swirling psychedelic screen-savers, among other bizarre images and messages. DeLong didn’t emerge from backstage until Seal crooned the final bars, but when he did he barely gave the audience a chance to scream with anticipation before he launched into a spirited, bass-pounding performance of “Don’t Wait Up.”
The musician wasted no time in showing off his full range of motion, prancing from his MIDI interface to his signature laser drum — a row of thin beams at the front of the stage that he “played” with a spatula — to his drum set and electric guitar, both elevated so that he could use them without skipping a beat. DeLong’s vigor didn’t dip after the first few songs, in fact the stage seemed to shift around him to accommodate his constant movement. He switched positions with his drummer, threw his drumsticks (he had extras), and changed shirts onstage to represent the transition from playing songs off his debut album Just Movement to his newer music. The audience received DeLong’s fevered pace with equal enthusiasm, cheering at his athleticism and dancing along to his thumping beats.
Near the end of his set, DeLong asked the crowd to use their combined brain power to summon Kristine Flaherty, a.k.a pop-rock singer K.Flay, to the stage. After a sustained minute of shrieking, a glitchy projection of Flaherty appeared on the screen behind DeLong and the two began performing their popular collaboration “Favorite Color is Blue.” The electronic emo track is one of DeLong’s better-known songs, and a number of concertgoers joined DeLong and his digital partner in shouting along to the gloomy lyrics.
For his final song of the night, DeLong brought the rest of Dreamers onstage — minus Wold — to perform “Dodging Sunshine (Fever Dreams)” a feel-good party single that the artists released together June 2nd. Dreamers made up for their lost stage time by dancing zealously and utilizing DeLong’s many scattered instruments and non-autotuned mics to create a performance just as animated as the rest of the show. The audience was excited to be able to hear the track two days ahead of its release, bobbing along to the music and screaming their admiration at its conclusion.
When the set ended, DeLong took a moment to thank the small crowd for their enthusiasm in spite of the missing headliner. “Thanks for coming out on a— I don’t even know what fucking day it is, but it’s not a Friday, and you made it feel like a Friday,” he said. “I fucking love you, Boston, and I’ll See You In The Future.”
Stream “Dodging Sunshine (Fever Dreams)” by DREAMERS and Robert DeLong!