Live music review: Boy Harsher thrilled a sold-out Empire Garage
The sold-out crowd at Empire Garage last Friday night was treated to an electronic, ambient music voyage by composer, performer Hiro Kone as the anticipation for headliners Boy Harsher was slowly increasing as the hour grew closer. The band last took the stage in Austin, in this same venue during the 2021 LEVITATION Festival and the hearty reception they received less than a year ago indicated the band’s rise in popularity. Since then Boy Harsher have gained steam with a successful European tour, composing the soundtrack for the 2022 short film, The Runner. They also landed a few opening dates for electronic dance music pioneers, NIN.
The ‘80s in Austin saw a significant growth in its dance club scene, a scene that not only embraced the electronic dance music that was becoming ever-so-present in modern day culture but also a shift into arenas of celebrating both life and diversity, openly. The underground electronic dance music genre that found a growing audience in the ‘80s has seen ebbs and flows in the industry and its popularity over the past decades and as of late, is seeing a resurgence of sorts.
A resurgence involving artists investing in the classic sounds of genre pioneers Kraftwerk, The Human League, Depeche Mode, Front 242, and NIN. A resurgence fueled by the re-emergence and popularity of classic ‘80s culture evident in fashion, television (Stranger Things), and music (Kate Bush). The popularity of this re-invention of an often dismissed music decade, has been evident with the steadily increasing popularity of Boy Harsher. The group, comprised of vocalist Jae Matthews and composer Augustus Muller, find its sound increasingly expanding beyond their dark-wave origins while incorporating sounds of electro-pop, accenting Muller’s talent for song composition.
Setting the tone with the ambient, minimalist track “Keep Driving” the band next switched gears and tempo launching into “Give Me a Reason” (from The Runner soundtrack) as the audience felt the beginning of what was to come.
Boy Harsher executed a well planned set that pushed the intensity of the music as the reception from the crowd grew in concert with the band’s performance. The group mindfully placed selections from their handful of studio full-lengths and singles, fulfilling the audience’s desire for the Boy Harsher experience. Operating the immense bank of electronic gear, Muller made use of his available time to stoke the audience enthusiasm, which in turn, fuels Matthews on stage saunter, occasionally accented with screams and yelps. An unexpected and curious choice to cover Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” midway through the set was executed to perfection and found an audience engaged in crowd surfing.
The wicked Texas heat was no deterrent to the crowd becoming increasingly animated as the set pulsed forward. The sweat, dancing, and vocal response ratcheted up further. Matthews intensity on stage increased as well as if she and the crowd were engaged in a contest of energies while her pleasure at their response was evident in her growing smile. The volume of the crowd after a string of intensity building songs, followed by the popular track “L.A.” overcame the sounds coming from the stage declaring a small victory for love of the band.
An exit from the stage came soon after, with the set lacking one crucial track yet to be played. Upon return the somber “I Understand” laid way for the band’s biggest hit “Pain”. Joined on stage by Austin’s own Louisiana Purchase who slithered and pulsed a perfectly choreographed dance to the band’s cult classic, Boy Harsher closed out their set in the best way possibly imagined by any seasoned or newfound fan.
The wide-eyed, sweaty crowd dispersed into the night resembling that akin to the aftermath of a heavy metal or punk rock show, cementing the fact that no matter what your concert release of choice is, we all have the need and desire to let out our joy, pain, and frustrations. Boy Harsher continues their tour with the dates below over the next few months.
All photos by Michael Maly
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