This past Thursday, July 6th, marked a special occasion for local band Snack’d Out. Not only was their debut album, Obstacle Illusion launching on streaming platforms, but the band welcomed it in by playing the whole thing front to back an hour before its release. With supporting acts Marble Teeth and Mutt joining them at The Space, it was a fun, rowdy way to bring in the new album.
The night kicked off with California-native band Mutt. The trio, which describes their music as “riot grrrl, grunge, post-punk, avant-garde, and garage rock” quickly brought the crowd to life with their fast pace music and angsty lyrics. The band covered songs from both their 2016 album Creature and 2020 album A Real Cool Head, with the song “Messiah Complex” being a personal favorite of the set. This set was one of two that bassist Juli Sherry would play, as later in the evening she’d take the stage again with Snack’d Out.
After Mutt wrapped up and joined the lively crowd, Marble Teeth was next to take the stage. As the second of the three trios for the night, the group came in ready to perform after watching Mutt’s set from in front of the stage. The band was more laid back and gave the feeling of indie-meets-Midwest emo.
Throughout their performance, singer Caleb Jefson was appreciative of the crowd, with a quick “thanks!” after every song. Marble Teeth ran through favorites off their multiple albums, with the set ending on a new, slow song that “hasn’t been played live or standing up yet.” For those looking to check out Marble Teeth, “horror, & how it feels” was a track that stood out from the rest.
Once Marble Teeth gave one last thanks and exited the stage, it was time for Snack’d Out to provide the crowd with the album they had been waiting to hear. From the front of the stage all the way back to the entrance of The Space, a sizable crowd buzzed quietly waiting for the show to start. As is natural with a band that best describes their music as “midwest emo with math rock and pop influences,” jokes were the appropriate way to kick off the album release.
To cover the performance in broad strokes, hearing the album live and in its entirety was the perfect way to get acquainted with both Snack’d Out and Obstacle Illusion. Despite the fun reminders that the band had never played most of the songs live before, or that they’ve never played an album straight through in its entirety, it was hard to believe this was true. Each song was crisp and played with high energy and love from a group that wanted to show just how much they enjoyed creating the album together. This, on top of two songs featuring some dynamic sax play, made for an entertaining Thursday night and a memorable release for a new favorite album.
As for the songs themselves, each had their fun moments and were easy to dance or bob along to. While the album in and of itself deserves a full track-by-track breakdown and review, old songs like “Perfect Wednesday,” “Are You Randy,” and “Oh How the Wine Talks” paired perfectly with new ones such as “Hiding as Someone Dead” and “Obstacle Illusion”. Whether it was lead singer Kris sharing stories about some of the songs “I wrote this about when the Cubs were bad, then they got good, now they’re bad again so it works!” or catching smiles from Juli or Doug on songs they were excited to share, led to the album feeling that much more special.
When the show ended, all three bands were among the crowd chatting and sharing in the fun that was had throughout the evening. Whether it was Mutt, Marble Teeth, or Snack’d Out, all were friendly and more than willing to chat about music, share some stickers for their band, or just hang with everyone slowly exiting The Space. Towards the entrance, all three artists had merch, with Snack’d Out rocking an exclusive shirt that has lyrics to one of my new favorite songs, “Obstacle Illusion.”
Currently, Snack’d Out is scheduled to play PYGMALION in September, but keep an eye on their Instagram for any other shows that may end up coming their way. This a band that you will not want to miss if you’re in the area.