LIVE REVIEW: Snail Mail @ The Majestic
BY: AMANY KHREIS
Snail Mail // Amany Khreis
Snail Mail made fans wait for quite a while to see her live. What was originally planned for December 8, 2021 at the Majestic ended up being pushed to August 31, 2022. This was done for good reason: Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail needed to undergo surgery on her vocal chords.
The wait for Snail Mail may have been worth it for the diehard fans, but in reality, it was the openers who really made the night.
Momma recently put out their third LP, Household Name. It’s the band’s first album under Polyvinyl Records. They have joined Snail Mail on tour along with New York’s Hotline TNT.
There was never a dull moment when either Hotline TNT or Momma were on stage. Despite the fact that they’re both a bit smaller than Snail Mail, a majority of the audience were familiar with their music. Even those that weren’t familiar were bobbing their heads along to the music or swaying or just full-on moshing.
Hotline TNT // Amany Khreis
One of the highlights of the night was during the first opener’s set. It was Chewie of Hotline TNT’s birthday. Momma came out onto the stage with cake, party hats and balloons. The crowd sang happy birthday. It was a true moment.
During Momma’s set, the moshing didn’t end. The band’s music has that 90s, indie rock, garage sound that’s so nostalgic it gives you whiplash. When hearing the hook of “Speeding 72,” I instantly think of Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement (Pavement even gets a shout out in the song: “You can catch us around / Listening to “Gold Soundz”).
Allegra Weingarten of Momma was donning a Pinback t-shirt, which I took note of and appreciated.
Momma // Amany Khreis
When it was finally Snail Mail’s turn to take the stage, fans were pretty excited. There were a ton of young girls in the audience. Snail Mail is known for her appeal toward lesbians and queer women. She even made sure to take note of her audience at the show.
Things died down pretty quick as Snail Mail continued on with her vocal heavy, stripped down ballads. Following Hotline TNT and Momma’s sets, it felt awkward. It was almost like the audience had to endure the rest of the show until they could hear “Pristine.”
“Pristine” made Snail Mail’s dull performance worth it. The audience knew every word and everyone was shouting the lyrics as loud as they could. The moshpit started back up again. Jordan was in disbelief at how excited the crowd was to see her. Momma and Hotline TNT came back out on stage to throw balloons into the audience and goof off with Snail Mail.
Thanks to the openers and Madisonian fans’ passion, this was one of the best shows the Majestic has had in a while. I would recommend seeing Momma and Hotline TNT whenever you get the chance. I would recommend seeing Snail Mail if you enjoy taking naps.