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Review & setlist: Mother Mother and Cavetown are unexpectedly complementary at MGM
The co-headline pairing was a surprise, but the acts melded dueling vibes into a night of energy and acceptance.
Mother Mother — a Vancouver rock band with an explosive set — has spent the summer touring with Cavetown, a British bedroom pop phenom with a few TikTok hits. It’s an unexpected pairing, but the two acts played a genuinely moving concert at MGM Music Hall Sunday night, with the rock band’s energetic performance complementing Cavetown’s softer approach.
It’s true that the vibe of the bands couldn’t be more different. Mother Mother’s “Hayloft” series has heavy riffs and stronger vocals, while Cavetown’s “Juliet” relies on simple beats and an intimate sound.
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But the two sets melded, even if the result was a bit long. (Meet Me At the Altar even opened for the two groups.) Both acts spoke with true joy about acceptance and being comfortable in your own skin. Mother Mother’s lead vocalist Ryan Guldemond sang about alienation, and Cavetown wore a trans flag as a cape.
“It’s trans people,” said someone pressed against the barricade when asked about the overlap of fans between Cavetown and Mother Mother, who took the stage at 7:30 p.m. But not everyone was fully invested in the other band: During both acts, voices could be heard talking through some of the quieter moments.
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Mother Mother first hit a few songs from their new album “Grief Chapter,” including “Nobody Escapes” and “The Matrix,” during which they played a snippet of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” The group had red, green, and purple strobe lights, smoke machines, and electrifying energy for each song.
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The group’s energy was perfectly in sync, from their dancing and placement on stage to their musical timing.
Mother Mother switched to a softer vibe with acoustic guitars for “Sleep Awake” and their mash-up of a few songs from their 2008 album “O My Heart.” They quickly got the energy back to end with their hits “Wrecking Ball” and “Verbatim,” where vocalist Jasmin Parkin sang an excerpt from Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games” to end.
Guldemond acknowledged that some of the Cavetown fans in the crowd might be younger than the typical Mother Mother audience or completely new to their music. But he said Mother Mother had played in Boston for 10 years straight — just not at a venue like MGM Music Hall. The group frequently played at TT the Bear’s in Cambridge.
“Boston is one of the best cities in America — in the world,” Guldemond said.
Cavetown, also known as Robin Skinner, took the stage around 9 p.m. His opening hits “let them know they’re on your mind” and “1994” took on a more rock persona, but at the same time the stage was decorated with oversized red-capped mushrooms and a plush-looking tree stump, matching Cavetown’s patchwork overalls and aesthetic.
Cavetown was joined by a trio while he bounced around the stage, on and off the tree. What he lacked in a fully fleshed-out stage presence was made up with his sheer joy. He stayed close to the edge of the stage for an intimate feel, and even yelled out “Yippie!” It was infectious.
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The entire set relied more on the bass and drums than Cavetown’s recorded music, which blended more with the vibe Mother Mother left on stage. The mostly melancholic music didn’t change pace, but the emotional swells in songs like “worm food” and “alone” were more sweeping.
The set was also silly, complete with a band member in a frog jumpsuit for “frog,” and a reversible octopus plush. But Cavetown took a more serious note before “This Is Home,” referencing his trans identity before tying a trans flag on as a cape.
“To feel out of place in your body and your mind, it sucks so hard. What helps me is seeing people like myself in front of me every night at shows. I see people looking at me and you guys are so cool and loving and beautiful and stylish,” he said. “It’s okay to be one of us.”
Setlist for Mother Mother at MGM Music Hall, July 7, 2024
- Nobody Escapes
- Arms Tonite
- Hayloft II
- The Matrix
- Problems
- Burning Pile
- Explode!
- Back to Life
- Body
- Sleep Awake
- Dirty Town / Neighbour / Ghosting / Little Pistol
- It’s Alright
- Oh Ana
- Verbatim
- Hayloft
Setlist for Cavetown at MGM Music Hall, July 7, 2024
- let them know they’re on your mind
- 1994
- heart attack
- Sweet Tooth
- worm food
- fall in love with a girl
- Pigeon
- Lemon Boy
- Green
- obvious
- alone
- frog
- Juliet
- Guilty
- This Is Home
- Boys Will Be Bugs
- 888
- Devil Town
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