SHOW REVIEW: Priests and Sons of an Illustrious Father Bring The Seduction of Kansas Tour to Phoenix
SHOW REVIEW: Priests and Sons of an Illustrious Father Bring The Seduction of Kansas Tour to Phoenix
Ezra Miller’s band opened on the D.C. Punk outfit’s tour supporting their new album of the same name.
By Taylor Gilliam
Phoenix summers aren’t for the faint of heart, but the time-honored tradition of retreating underground certainly helps locals beat the heat. That’s the idea behind shows at Valley Bar: the downtown basement venue and low-key bar that hosts events such as The Seduction of Kansas Tour supporting Priests’ album of the same name.
Eight years into their career as a band, Priests have carefully cultivated a punk-based yet otherworldly aesthetic, one which might be difficult to match in terms of finding suitable support for a tour. However, Sons of an Illustrious Father were up to the task, and proved to be the perfect fit.
As evidenced by the many fans who hung around the venue long after the show, one of the main draws of the opening act was Ezra Miller of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them fame. But Miller—and Lilah Larson and Josh Aubin—proved to be much more than a novelty.
The trio prides themselves on being a queer group that defies genre and the expected setup of a band. All three are multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, which they proved by trading places throughout the set between the drums, keyboard, and guitars. Pulling from last year’s Deus Sex Machina: Or, Moving Slowly Beyond Nikola Tesla and 2016’s Revol, Sons of an Illustrious Father held the crowd in rapt attention.
Show-goers may have been divided by age, but the unifying lyrics coming from the stage recounted shared experiences and close-to-home issues that they could share. The resonance and understanding reflected back to the band, who became more and more smiley the further they got into their set. The excitement grew and carried over into Priests’ appearance.
Vocalist Katie Alice Greer’s shimmering gold bodysuit, bright kimono, and pastel blue hair immediately lit up the room as it brought the campy elements of The Seduction of Kansas to life. Closely behind her, guitarist G.L. Jaguar arrived in boots and a cowboy hat, and drummer Daniele Daniele set the beat.
Priests embody a pick-and-choose cross between punk and rock n’ roll that has helped them operate fully on their own terms for the better part of a decade. The record label they launched, Sister Polygon Records, has also facilitated that independence and has given them freedom to write the sharp, critical lyrics they’re known for.
And sharp their set was—focused on dazzling the crowd with a performance that could be compared to Bikini Kill and St. Vincent. Nobody could look away or figure out just how they achieved the juxtaposition of harder rock edges and softening pop elements. All the meanwhile, Priests ripped through tracks from Kansas and 2017’s Nothing Feels Natural at a breathtaking pace.
Closing with “Jesus’ Son,” the band’s raucous energy came to a peak. Afterward, the fans emerged from the venue with eyes still wide, adjusting to reality: hot air and the humdrum of the midweek slump. It couldn’t have been a more different environment.
