by LE Francis
As with many shows, I went to this one because my brother needed someone to go to a weekday show with him — this one was Wednesday, April 26. I’m always stoked to go to shows with my brother because we have similar taste in music & he’s 6’2 & exudes a don’t fuck with me aura that counteracts any potential golden retriever energy I’m putting out. So, he keeps me out of trouble at shows & gives me better music recommendations than any algorithm.
We miscalculated traffic time & got distracted by finding a Silver Platters Records & Kemp’s Cannabis shop (I rarely smoke but dude was my favorite Sonic) in Sodo — I haven’t been to a show in that part of town since 2011. So we arrived late to this show & I spent the tail end of Spite’s set trying to find the restroom & didn’t really get to observe any part of their set.
I will say that Showbox Sodo is one of those venues that fills up quickly & can get confusing when it does. But we were able to find our way to the floor in time for nothing.nowhere.
nothing.nowhere
It was on my brother’s cue that I listened to nothing.nowhere’s Trauma Factory when it came out in 2021. It’s a lighter, poppier, more emo album than his latest release VOID ETERNAL but both have a raw, confessional feel to them.
nothing.nowhere is a unique act, his music is centered on his struggles with mental health. One of my favorite songs from Trauma Factory is “buck,” an unflinching look at how success doesn’t really help someone who is struggling with anxiety & depression, only reframes it around a new set of stressors.
As a live act, nothing.nowhere is unflinching, electrifying. He toured with a full band & his playlist leaned a little heavier, assumedly because he’s playing with two metal bands. The crowd was absolutely eating it up, singing along, moshing – two younger women stood in front of us at the edge of the crowd & went apeshit, even knocking my phone out of the way as I tried to record. & I have to say – I LOVE TO SEE IT.
Despite the playlist leaning heavier, they adapted some of the older songs to the style, including “buck.” My brother had been staking out setlists looking for songs specifically from “ruiner” & “Trauma Factory” & they had pulled some of them from previous shows so we were stoked when we ended up getting several of them.
Honestly, n.n on this tour seemed a bit risky. I’ve been to a lot of shows where there was an act that was very different genre-wise & it went sideways for them, this was not the case. nothing.nowhere & his band held their place on the stage between two metalcore acts & put on a fantastic show.
You can find more about nothing.nowhere at nothingnowhere.net. Beyond the setlist, my favorite n.n songs are “crave,” “real,” & “CYAN1DE.”
Wage War
I’m not going to lie, I first heard of Wage War via TikTok. Someone had recommended them in a video & I’d liked the song okay & end up putting pieces of their 2021 album Manic into my various playlists for further research.
So, when I saw them at the top of the bill I jumped back into listening to Manic & even though I’m more of a wheedly-guitar, post-hardcore/prog nerd, I really liked it. The entire album is very listenable, every song has these incredible hooks & well-crafted vocal exchanges that make them just stick in your head.
Live, the band is larger than life. I watched them from the bar, not really game for being in the general area code of the pit during their set, & the mix was heavy, striking. The band clicks together perfectly & wields an almost impossible heaviness, balanced between catchy choruses & riffs reminiscent of classic thrash.
Their setlist included some older songs, particularly several from their 2017 album Deadweight, which ended up being some of my favorites of the night. Vocally, “Gravity” has an almost emo or post-hardcore sensibility to it.
I understand that this is a metalcore band but so many elements of their music lean into other genres, & it’s not just interesting, it’s familiar. Wage War definitely has crossover appeal to fans of heavy music in general.
As with nothing.nowhere, the fans were very into it. I love when maybe I can’t understand what the singer is saying because I’m too far away & their vocal style is a bit obfuscating – but the fan next to me? They know every word & they’re singing it right into my ear. I’ve learned so much that way & I love seeing people on fire for their favorite music.
My brother, however, wasn’t as into it as I was. So I agreed to leave after “Slow Burn” which was about halfway through their 19 song setlist. But it was wise. I spent six hours total on the road & had a drink during Wage War’s set because I wanted to stand in the bar & felt like I should be drinking. So by the time I got home I was absolutely dead to the world & probably needed to leave early.
At the time, “Slow Burn” was my favorite track, but while writing this review I’ve shifted more toward “Godspeed” & “Gravity.” I definitely have Deadweight in my playlists now as well.
You can find out more about Wage War at wagewarband.com.
As I said, I hadn’t been to the Showbox Sodo in several years when I went to this show. & the last time I went was for a sold out Coheed & Cambria show that had me pressed against the wall the whole time.
It’s an okay venue but when it’s full it gets hard to navigate & see the stage. The bathrooms are on the opposite side of entrance & with a full pit area it can be difficult to access. They use barriers to carve out the bar & sound areas which add to the confusion. Logistically, it’s not my favorite Seattle venue but every employee that I interacted with was helpful enough.
And parking is plentiful along 1st Avenue, but the lot closest to the venue is likely to fill up fast.
My year of many shows continues, next on the schedule is Matchbox Twenty. I also have tickets to Meute, Thrice, Between the Buried & Me with Thank You Scientist, Sleep Token, & Protest the Hero. If you’re out at shows in the Pacific Northwest I may see you there.
LE Francis (she/her) is Sage Cigarettes Magazine’s managing editor. She’s a writer, podcaster, visual artist, & musician. She is a columnist & staff artist for Cream Scene Carnival Magazine. She is a co-host & editor of Sage Cigarettes’ A Ghost in the Magazine horror review podcast. Her debut poetry chapbook, This Spell of Song & Star, is available through Bottlecap Features. Find her at nocturnical.com.
