Enter Shikari | Nashville, TN
Last Friday, May 10th 2024, Nashville had the pleasure of being in the presence of the UK’s own Enter Shikari. It’s been 5 years since the band passed through Nashville, on the same Basement East stage. The main difference between these two dates was the amount of fans I saw this past Friday. Talking to Chris Batten (bass) after the set, I discovered the band tripled the amount of sales compared to last time. I talked to fans from New Jersey, Wisconsin, Texas and even some that came from London and Australia to catch the show.
The night started with the local band Flummox, and I was ashamed I was not familiar with them before this show. The punk genderfluid group knocked it out of the park with their sounds and performance. The frontwoman Alyson Blake Dellinger impressed the crowd with one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard. The band ventures through mathcore, experimental, cabaret-like sounds and of course, the good old punk. The band performed hits like “Holy Ejaculate,” “Trans Girls Needs Guns,” and they closed the set with a “ritual” while the song “Black Phillip” was performed. Dellinger wore a beast mask and fed the crowd gummy worms from a sliced open baby doll. I was even lucky to score one myself. The band definitely gained some new fans and set some high standards for the night.
On a dimly lit stage, Rou Reynolds walked in front of the mic and started an acapella version of “System…”and the entire crowd screamed the lyrics with him. The anticipation was palpable in the pit, and the tension was broken by the entire band walking onstage and playing “…Meltdown.” An extraordinary entrance for the band, and you could see in their faces how surprised they were to see this kind of energy in Nashville. The band continued to play a setlist filled with hits from their newest album, and nostalgic songs from the past. I have never seen so many people crowd surfing at The Basement East, and I could feel a sense of community and love throughout the venue. Rob Rolfe (drums) told the fans how good it was to be back in Nashville after a while away. Rou Reynolds danced the night away onstage, and his energy was contagious. Fans were dancing with him on the pit, and you could see the exchange of energy. The band included remixes of songs like “Anaesthetist” and “Sorry You’re Not a Winner.” They played their newest song “Losing My Grip,” and it was exhilarating to see this song live. Rou played “Stalemate”solo, reminding the crowd about Palestine and how he hopes there’s still life there after all this bloodshed. This was one of the most touching performances of the night and you could see the crowd tear up to his stunning voice. The band closed with“A Kiss for the Whole World”and thanked the fans again for being there with such energy. After the show, Enter Shikari talked to fans that waited at the venue and promised they wouldn’t wait so long to return to Nashville.
