Fucked Up Live @ The Sinclair, Cambridge MA [06-05-23]

Everyone should be listening to Fucked Up. That’s a fact. Unfortunately, hardly anyone does. That’s a sad fact. I mean this in the sense that this band should be much much bigger than they actually are. For one thing, they play glam punk, fuzzy and complex, and layered. They release a plethora of vinyl and take it on tour with them. They’ve proven twice now that expansive concept albums are well within their skill-range. Of course they’ll try it (Pitchfork told them to), and they won’t like it (because none of their friends like Fucked Up). But that’s because there’s something wrong with them.

Their latest album One Day is the least ambitious concept album so far. I’m still not quite sure what the concept is supposed to be (Did they record the album in one day? Did the individual sessions total 24 hours? Is that all the band members sperate or everyone together? Did Damian have only one day to write lyrics?), and their shortest album yet, but there are still some straight up bangers on there. Kudos to them. I missed them when they came around last year. Miss them twice? Shame on me.

It’s no surprise that the guys still put on an amazing show. You wouldn’t guess that they went on a semi-hiatus last year, because Fucked Up still makes it look effortless on stage, the songs just pour out of them, the fury of the performance undeniable (which has plenty to do with drummer Jonah Falco), and the charm prominent. I think it probably has to do with lead singer Damien Abraham’s stage presence as a furious front man with a kind heart.

They might have slowed down a bit over the past year (blame it on Abraham’s anxiety), but since then, the band appears reinvigorated, touring more, and recording more music. This night, the setlist contained almost all the songs from One Day, their new single Cops, just one song off David Comes to Life (come on, guys!) and some other highlights from Dose Your Dreams. I don’t think a single beat was out of place or a single note missing. Truly remarkable!

There’s not really much more I can say about this band. You should be listening to them or catching them live. You’ll do it because you know what’s good for you.

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