Live Shows: Pelican, Porcelain, and Glacier, The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA 7/21/25

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Sometimes a triple bill is just perfectly put together. The best plan is to find three bands who are similar enough to fit together, but different enough to keep things interesting. Plus, it helps when I've been dying to see all three bands but haven't been able to yet. That was the case Monday night at The Sinclair with Pelican, Porcelain, and Glacier, three bands I've been wanting to see for various amounts of time.

I've been a fan of Pelican since 2001's Untitled, but, for whatever reason, I had never seen them until Monday night. The post-metal band was playing in Boston for the first time in six years, and they released a monster of a set upon the crowd. It's kind of mind-blowing that a band can play instrumental tracks for well over an hour while keeping their audience rapt, but that is the power of Pelican. The start of their set focused on the recently released Flickering Resonance, but they played songs from their entire career to the audience's delight. I don't think any band out there balances the brutal and the beautiful as well as Pelican does, and that was on full display at The Sinclair. 

Porcelain played second, and as excited as I was to see them, I've been a fan for a much shorter amount of time. I only discovered them about two weeks ago when they released "Torch," but that single blew me away and sent me diving straight into their back catalog. Their blend of Sonic Youth-esque noise rock and punk fits right into the music that I truly love, and they were similar yet different enough from Pelican to be a perfect opener. Their set was as manic as their music, with a huge sound that won over the crowd, and was perfect for their existing fans in the audience. It might sound weird saying that music this dark was fun, but... it was. Porcelain will definitely see me right up front next time they make the trek up from Texas.

Opening the show was Boston's own Glacier, a band I've been a fan of since 2021's No Light Ever. Their instrumental doom metal sound is the obvious choice to open for Pelican, and I was a little concerned Pelican fans might find them a little too obvious. But Glacier brought it. They played a three song, thirty minute set that ricocheted between bludgeoning and gorgeous and back again. Their sound ended up being the heaviest of the evening, and Liz Walshak (who is also in Boston shoegaze heroes Vivid Bloom) brought one of the best metal howls I've ever heard to one of their songs. I'm not much of a headbanger, but it was impossible not to for Glacier.

On Repeat...

Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

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Photo by Alexa Viscius This may be Liam Kazar's debut single, but the Chicago based musician already has an impressive resume, having worked with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, and others. "Shoes Too Tight" features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy on drums, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Ohmme on vocals. It's an absurdly fun and groovy little song that is a party waiting to happen. What he gives us here is a timeless song that could truly have been released any time since the 1960's (ok... maybe not the 80's...) There are elements of classic rock, 60's crooners and R&B, indie rock, modern Americana... it's really just packed with everything in a cohesive song that maintains the vibe the entire way through. You can watch the video for "Shoes Too Tight" below. For more on Liam Kazar, check him out on Instagram and Twitter . He's also raising money on his Bandcamp for Constellation and The Hungry Brain. ...
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The Freqs - "Witch"

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Photo via Facebook When you're a rock band from Salem, MA, you have to have at least one song about witchcraft. The Freqs have fulfilled their obligation with a banger of a song. "Witch" is this giant monster of a song, filled with fuzz and strained, screaming vocals. This is the type of song that doesn't usually exist in this century. It's giving me some serious 90's flashbacks, like if Hum got aggressive or Alice in Chains decided to do some damage on the college charts. As great as the vocals are in "Witch," what's really drawing me in is the instrumental break down that takes over about halfway through. This is the kind of song to make the hipsters and the headbangers equally excited. You can listen to "Witch" below. For more on The Freqs, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram . The Freqs · Witch
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Dutch ReBelle - "GOONIEZ"

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How is Dutch ReBelle not a national superstar at this point? The Boston MC just released "GOONIEZ," and I know I'm a bit out of touch with current mainstream hip hop, but this song is absolutely killer. It's a stripped down hip hop song that has this futuristic space age sound to it. Plus, ReBelle's flow is unsurpassed. You can't listen to her and not be completely sucked in. The song has a feel reminiscent of classic Missy Elliott. As much as I love that we can still see Dutch ReBelle in smaller Boston venues, "GOONIEZ" proves she should be playing much larger venues nationwide very, very soon. You can watch the video for "GOONIEZ" below. For more on Dutch ReBelle, check out the artist's website . 
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