Silversun Pickups Rise at the Jeff.
Silversun Pickups have carved out a unique space in alternative rock with their blend of dreamy shoegaze, grunge-inspired riffs, and intricate soundscapes. It’s hard to mistake them for anyone else, as they possess a distinct, signature sound. Their music often combines fuzzy, layered guitar tones with melodic bass lines and atmospheric synths, creating a lush, immersive experience that’s both heavy and ethereal. Songs like Lazy Eye and Panic Switch perfectly showcase their balance of aggression and melody.
Lead singer Brian Aubert's vocals are unmistakable, with an androgynous and breathy quality that effortlessly shifts between haunting whispers and powerful wails, enhancing the band’s otherworldly vibe. I remember when I first heard Lazy Eye, I couldn’t tell if the lead singer was male or female. It’s funny to think about that now, but back then, it was genuinely unclear to me.
Silversun Pickups take the thick, reverb-heavy guitars of shoegaze and infuse them with sharper, more defined hooks, making their sound more accessible without sacrificing depth.
Their recent show in Charlottesville brought the same energy and impressive visual production that Silversun Pickups are known for. Alongside Brian on lead vocals and guitar were bassist and all-around badass Nikki Monninger (who Brian famously met on a flight while she was stealing liquor off the beverage cart), keyboardist Joe Lester, and drummer Christopher Guanlao. They delivered a 20-song setlist that lasted just over two hours, pulling tracks from seven of their albums and even one from their singles collection.
My music-loving, concert-going friends Jon and Eli were with me at the Jefferson on Sunday night, and Jon and I were both running on fumes. We had just gotten back from seeing one of the bands on my top 5 of all time list, Manchester Orchestra, at the new Brooklyn Paramount in Brooklyn, NY, on Friday night (followed by a game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday). So, we were hanging on by threads… until the music started. Once the band got going, so did we.
While I loved every second of the performance and the energy and intensity that Brian, Nikki, and the rest of the band created, my show favorites were from Carnavas—the album that introduced me to the band over a decade ago. I discovered Silversun Pickups when my family and I moved to Gainesville, Florida, in the early 2010s. My kids were very young, and I didn’t know anyone yet. Working remotely, I would drop the kids off at preschool and settle in at a local coffee shop (CYM Coffee Company, which happened to be owned by Sister Hazel frontman Ken Block). I’d listen to Carnavas on repeat while answering emails until it was time to pick up the kids. That album made a huge impact on me and remains one of my all-time favorites (somewhere in my top 20).
At the Jefferson, they played Well Thought Out Twinkles, Little Lover’s So Polite, Three Seed, and Lazy Eye off of Caranvas. Three Seed and Lazy Eye were part of the encore, along with Cannibal and Empty Nest.
Overall, it was a powerful performance that reminded me why I fell in love with this band in the first place.
Keep the beat,
Bazz
