Athens’ Penny Loafer Closed Fixer Release Tour with an All-Star Atlanta Bill
At the tail end of their eastern U.S. tour, Athens-based band Penny Loafer made one final stop at The Drunken Unicorn to celebrate the release of their debut record, Fixer, on October 2nd. Joined by Atlanta bands Strumbrush, Wheat, and Siichaq, it was an all-star stacked bill perfectly befitting such a special record release.
Siichaq started things off, playing songs from their own new record, The Righteous Sword, for the first time since its release, as well as a few older cuts. Frontwoman Kennie Mason came on stage in white makeup and black and white clothing evoking a pierrot. The Righteous Sword is definitely on the more sobering side–not to mention it features a circus-themed song called “Tight Rope”–so the look felt fitting for the performance.
Next was Wheat, the only band on the bill who I wasn’t previously familiar with. Safe to say they converted me into a fan, and I wasn’t surprised to learn after the fact that they share members with other great bands including Sheath and open carry state. Wheat just released its slowcore/slacker rock debut EP, Playing Jacks, in July.
Strumbrush played the penultimate set, performing songs from Whirlwind and their semi-recently Kapoorhouse-reviewed record Fate Again. I last caught the band opening for Lowertown at The Masquerade, so it was a treat getting to see them in a more intimate venue. It rocked so hard that at one point a cymbal from their drum kit came apart and fell to the ground. After playing a new song, someone urged them from the audience to “Release it! Release it!” (and I’d have to agree).
In between sets, I spoke with Christian, a fellow photographer at the show, about Penny Loafer. I said that I had seen the band for the first time in a while when they played at AthFest this past summer, and I was taken aback by how different they sounded, much heavier. Christian agreed, adding that their new sound suited them well, though it had been a bad night to forget earplugs.
Penny Loafer came on last for the grand finale, shifting the stage lights from blues and purples to a warm orange. The songs from Fixer were even more engulfing live than in their recordings, and the band seemed comfortable and completely in the zone during the performance. At times, you could see the entire front row morph into one bobbing, engrossed body. Like the other acts on this bill, Penny Loafer transcends being impressive for a local band; they’re just a great band, period.
