Live Shows: The Town and The City Festival Day 3: Afternoon Edition, Lowell, MA 4/26/25

One of the nice things about The Town and The City Festival is that the music starts early in the afternoon on Saturday, which leads to more music. There were many great choices throughout the day, but I decided to stay put at Thirsty First for the triple bill of The Chelsea Curve, Girl with a Hawk, and The Deluxe Fiasco.

I arrived at Thirsty First just as The Deluxe Fiasco was starting their set. I was completely unfamiliar with them but was pleasantly surprised to see that they are led by Scott Matthew Pittman, who I've seen play with many other bands. The band has that ramshackle folk sound we tend to like around here, equal parts polished and rough, and included so many members that Pittman was set up next to the stage in the doorway. A highlight was when the band passed around lyrics to their brand new single, "Art is the Handmaid of Human Good," for a sing-a-long. They referred to the song as the "national anthem of Lowell," which was perfect for this festival.

Up next was Girl with a Hawk, who I've been meaning to get around to seeing. Their blend of indie pop rock meets indie rock was the perfect bridge between the other two bands, and was truly a treat to see live. They kept the theme of bands playing both loose and tight going. Some of their songs have an almost folk and country sound, and others like the Justine Covault tribute "Feel Me" have a garage rock meets New Wave sound. As much as I've liked their recorded singles, live Girl with a Hawk is a completely different animal and were a highlight of the weekend.

Closing out the afternoon set was The Chelsea Curve. They opened their set with a cover of Republica's almost forgotten classic "Ready to Go." It set the mood for the rest of their set, as their sound is a mixture of garage rock, mod, and Britpop. I've been lucky enough to see them a few times, and they've always been the highlight of the night each time. It's an upbeat style of rock and roll that was perfect for the afternoon crowd at Thirsty First. There's no pretention with The Chelsea Curve or their music. It's just about the music and having fun, and sometimes that's what you need from music, especially live.