Live Shows: Battlemode and Double Feature, Capitol Theater, Arlington, MA 7/5/25

As someone who goes to a lot of shows (what many people would regard as a ridiculous number), I'm always looking for something a little different. Sometimes that can be something as simple as a non-traditional venue (boats, churches, a park without a stage, etc.), and sometimes it can completely eschew the traditional concert format of three bands in a bar. Saturday night, Battlemode provided a completely different experience with The Blame Canada! USO Show at Capitol Theater in Arlington.

The first part of the evening was a quick performance by Battlemode. This was my fourth time seeing Battlemode perform since March, and the chiptune band keep me coming back for more. Taking the stage in a vintage movie theater, this was the most restrained performance I've seen of theirs, but that could mostly be because we're all socialized to be quiet in a movie theater. It was still a fun show, as always, and I wish I could be less self conscious and have danced like the few people who moved to the front of the theater to do so. Live video game based music never would have sounded like my thing, but Battlemode have made me a diehard fan after a few performances.

Up next was Double Feature with a special South Park themed set. The electronic duo dropped absolute bangers [do the kids still say bangers?] that were themed to the film South Park: The Movie, and included remixes of "Uncle Fucker" and "I'm Super." Was it pretty ridiculous? Yes. Was it also amazing and ridiculously fun? Also yes. Plus, Double Feature brought out Boston drag superstar Celia Smokinbutts to perform to "I'm Super," which was pretty perfect.

Next was a showing of South Park: The Movie, which held up much better than I could have expected. Obviously there are some words that were much more acceptable to say in 1999, but that's true of virtually every movie from that time period. I was shocked at how many of the songs I remembered despite not seeing the movie for decades, and the entire theater turned into a sing-a-long for most songs, and a clap-a-long for "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch." Somehow this ended up being a perfect way to celebrate Fourth of July weekend for those of us not exactly in a patriotic mood this year.

If this sounds up your alley, they'll be back on September 12 for a thirtieth anniversary screening of Hackers with Renoly Santiago (The Phantom Phreak) and Laurence Mason (Lord Nikon) in attendance.