Spaced Out with STRFKR

^{Article and photos by Josie Stahler}

If any band is capable of transforming a music venue into a trippy, intergalactic adventure, it’s STRFKR. The band played a sold out show at the Salt Shed as part of their U.S. tour. The Friday evening fun features openers Ruth Radelet, happy sad face and some dancing astronaut crowd surfers. 

Starting off the show was happy sad face. Walking on stage in an elevated white suit, they were ready to get the crowd going with their psychedelic pop tunes. happy sad face danced around on stage, teasing the crowd by taking off their jacket or hiding around the stage. They took off their suit to reveal a whole new outfit, getting the crowd to chant and cheer. It was clear happy sad face had a passion for performance. By the time they had finished, the crowd was warmed up for the night ahead.
Next to take the stage was Ruth Radelet, previous lead singer of The Chromatics. She walked on in a bright pink dress and black patterned tights, calm as can be. Her music is soft and reflective, allowing audience members to stand and soak up the atmosphere. Other tracks such as her latest single, “Shoot Me Down” gets a little more upbeat, with angelic vocals and indie pop instrumentation. Audience members stood in awe of her, and by the time the set was complete they were focused for the main act. 

As the lights dimmed down, the audience roared with anticipation. STRFKR walked on stage in complete darkness, only to open with colorful lights and their track, “While I’m Alive”. People in golden robes and faceless masks danced around on stage illuminating the band. STRFKR originally began as a solo project by Joshua Hodges, but has then expanded with a full band including members Shawn Glassford, Keil Corcoran and Arian Jalali. Hodges appeared on stage in glittery sunglasses, and it was clear he was excited to be playing a sold out show. He mentioned during the set that he’s been playing music for fifteen years, so it was nice that he could still perform with the same passion as the early days. 

Halfway into the set, STRFKR played their hit song “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second” a laid back track reminiscent of summertime. They also played tracks from their latest album, Parallel Realms, which is slightly more instrumental, but with all the traits that make STRFKR songs spacey and warm. The visuals that played behind the band during each song were trippy, ranging from moving eyeballs to a floating high speed train. During energetic songs confetti also shot out into the crowd, drowning them in a wave of color. STRFKR also did an encore complete with dancing astronauts that crowd surfed around the venue. Their combined upbeat music and visuals made for an exciting show that left the audience feeling as light as air and ready to take on the world.

STRFKR will continue touring through May, then pick up again in July for a summer of fun. Details can be found on their Instagram.