Tancred (Jess Abbott of Now, Now) @ The Space, 12/19/13

Probably best known for her guitar and vocal work in the band Now, Now, Jess Abbott’s solo project, Tancred, doesn’t skip a beat without the backing of a band. As part of several intertwining tour dates, Tancred and The Box Tiger stopped by The Space in Hamden, CT basement to perform together.

Mystic, CT natives, Slander, started the evening off. They are a five piece self-described “rock band playing pop songs, pop band playing rock songs”. With edgy vocal tone spikes from Julia Farrar and an almost noise-punk sound, Slander showcased their “Magnets” b/w “Ghosts” single among others. The set was closed out strong, giving me a first taste of “Waking Up With Fuzzy Mouth” and “Bring It Back”.

Canadian indie rockers, The Box Tiger, followed things up with a strong showing. They gave off a positive energy and demonstrated cohesion that left you with no idea that they were coming off a transition period within the last year. It was easy to zone in on the cool but fiery vocals of Sonia Sturino and the cool bass riffs of Benjamin Tran. The overall buildup and fierce climax of “The Hollows” created a mesmerizing sound. Singles “Knives” and “Set Fire To Your Friends” also stood out in their highly effective set.

le box tiger

It was a barebones headlining performance for Tancred. Abbott simply took the stage with her guitar in support of her self-titled second solo LP. Without any backing, her vocals and guitar work were the focal point of the performance, and she captivated the attention of the whole room.

Tancred closed things out on a high note with single “The Ring” after integrating plenty of songs including some treatment to Alanis Morissette. Her tendency to stick with writing shorter tracks helped her pack plenty of simplistic, emotionally-charged material into a stacked set. Fans of Abbott can also expect some new material from Now, Now in the coming year or so.

 

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