When The Nile has a main room show that's “enter through the coffee shop,” you should know to expect chaos, and ORIGAMI ANGEL’s Halloween Show was absolutely no exception.
I arrived just in time to catch the tail end of the second opener MACSEAL dressed as Teletubbies and the Nile was already jammed full nearly back to their front of house, with the front section usually reserved for ADA accommodations completely filled with audience members surrounding the stage from just about every angle possible. The crowd only grew between sets, rather than disperse for the usual merch booth or bar runs from those looking to kill the changeover time.
ARM’S LENGTH took to the stage next, and within just a few minutes of starting, members of the crowd were immediately rushing on with them for some heavily-encouraged stage dives that continued on throughout the rest of the set with ALLEN STEINBERG pouring his heart out through six strings and a microphone at the center of the chaos. Formed in Ontario, Canada, ARM’S LENGTH brought a wildly energized set that got everybody in the crowd moving, even if not to the extreme of jumping off of the stage.
Eventually, though, the stage was once again cleared and the crowd slowly began chanting “Gami Gang!” as the duo RYLAND HEAGY and PAT DOHERTY began setting up their modest battlestations for the night. Not soon after, the lights dimmed for the final time of the night and HEAGY recited the lyrics to “Lost Signal” the opening track of their most recent release “Feeling Not Found”. That would be the last calm moment of the night.
As soon as DOHERTY began hitting the drums, the crowd was explosive. Inviting more stage divers, it quickly made the previous set's chaos look like a mere controlled burn in comparison with four to five people diving simultaneously into the crowd at its peak.
The only thing more impressive than the crowd's ability to both catch and carry the onslaught of divers was HEAGY managing to fly through his math-ily chaotic notes while maintaining vocal control throughout.
The two powered through their setlist with minimal banter, but the little that they did include leaned heavily into appreciation for the crowd and admiration for their costumes. The setlist itself consisted of a very healthy mix of songs from their latest release, as well as fan favorites from their discography.
Despite ORIGAMI ANGEL sporting the fewest members of the night, their set was a sonic onslaught of catchy riffs, emotionally nostalgic lyrics, and a backing beat that left everybody moving from beginning to end.
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