Before Black Midi dropped a single track, they’d garnered more hype than most bands do well into their careers. Naturally, leading up to their release of their debut album Schlagenheim, this hype was met in equal measures by backlash and skepticism — how could a band making complex, inaccessible guitar music be the next big thing in 2019’s peak poptimist atmosphere? To their credit, the band answered the skeptics relatively well. Schlagenheim was met with positive reviews, with the consensus being that while not a perfect album, it showed immense amount of promise. I thought more or less the same thing. To me, Schlagenheim was an extremely interesting album but one that very closely toed the line between innovation and complexity for complexity’s sake.
Black Midi’s set at Warsaw this past Monday quelled every last bit of skepticism I had about the band. The very fact that it’s even possible to perform some of these tracks is impressive in itself. But Black Midi not only gets through each astoundingly complicated riff with ease, precision and bravado, they do so with purpose (no “bmbmbm” pun intended here, I swear). What can sometimes sound like needlessly meandering guitar riffs and unnecessarily complex rhythm shifts on Schlagenheim unfold organically live and suddenly make sense. Seeing Black Midi perform these songs gives so much insight on why wrote them the way they did, and the intricate pieces of Schlagenheim’s puzzle start to fit together just a bit better.
Beyond providing me an insightful and eye opening experience, Black Midi put on a downright incredible show. The band’s four members, none of whom are older than 20, have undeniable talent as both musicians and performers. Each track they played sounded just as impossibly tight as it does on the album but with an added layer of energy: Geordie Greep’s one-of-a-kind voice brimmed with power and dynamism, Morgan Simpson’s drumming sounded just as precise but twice as vigorous. The band also has a knack for creating an atmosphere. From guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin’s almost possessed manner of shuffling around the stage to Bassist Cameron Picton’s soft yet urgent vocals on tracks like “Near DT, MI” to a mid-set performance of “Tequila” by The Champs, the show dabbled in both the haunting and the absurd.
I’ve looked at Schlagenheim in a new light since seeing Black Midi live, which is a testament to both their performance and the album — they reward those who invest in them. It’s hard to say if we’ll ever enter another era where complex guitar music is back in vogue, but if we do, you can bet it’ll be Black Midi leading the charge. Whether you’re a diehard fan of Schlagenheim or just intrigued by the band’s unique story, their shows shouldn’t be missed.
