SPACE BACON EXCURSIONS | PHILADELPHIA | 2022
Spun out cornball wooks love to toss around the words “fam” and “family” like red solo cups at a Widespread Panic tailgate. A true bond is only formed through the shared experiences of highs and lows. I had the chance to travel with Space Bacon over the course of the past six months as they delivered one quality performance after another. From Denver to Philadelphia, I witnessed unsuspecting victims get their wigs pushed back by the velocity that poured from the speakers. Through the most transformative period of my life, this band and their music pushed and supported me every step of the way. When the lights go down and the curtain closes, the smoke and mirrors clear, and you get to see who is really in your corner. I can confidently say, with a clear and sober mind, that these kids are my brothers for life.
After all these years, they’ve continued to impress me on a consistent basis. At this point in my life, I may not rock a flat brim covered in pins or wear tie-dyes every weekend, but I still love the lunacy and substance found in the world of jam bands. It’s easy to turn into a jaded dickhead, but the pursuit of an incredible show is an intoxicating gamble that is wildly addicting. Behind the music, Space Bacon has character that is magnetic and unapologetic. That’s what makes them stand out as the next wave in a sea of bands.
Every show has contained highlights that are worth revisiting. Whether you want to get blasted over the head or gently laid to rest, trust me, it is all there. From the Cervantes shows in November to Underground Arts in Philadelphia this past Saturday, I stood on the side of the stage and watched as the band moved crowds with depth and aggression. Philly got crazy though. The aesthetic of the old sex dungeon was an ideal setting for the rabidly animalistic tension and release that the four piece from Brooklyn catapulted against the concrete.
Right off the bat, Satellite > Parachute set the room on fire. It has everything that I look for in a segment. There is thematic conviction. There is harmonious interplay between keyboardist Chris Gironda and guitarist Jack Willard. Each member shows tremendous spatial awareness. It set the tone for the high points that followed. They closed out the first set with pure rock n’ roll slaughter. Throwing Shade featured a sit-in from their FOH engineer Alfred Rylands on second guitar. There’s nothing like the feeling of dual guitars meshing together as one. They tapped into a fitting War Pigs tease and showed off their roots. Drummer Sam Crespo and bassist Kevin LeGall kept a Master Lock on the rhythmic low end as the guitarists sent the peak to the moon.
They opened the second set with the debut of Hyperion. The song has a lot of promise and I’m excited to see how they mix and match it with other songs in their catalogue. As a whole, the second set was exactly what the doctor ordered. The melodic connections that Chris and Jack were linking up on during Jacknife gently melted together like butterscotch under a Southern summer sun. It set the stage for the jam into the ending of Ice Planet which is definitively one of the most substantial jams of the last six months. That’s how you take the room on a ride as a band. All the sonic variables melded into one collective blanket of textured sound that transported the room like a magic carpet ride above Independence Hall. I will send to the next person that asks me, “I want to get into Space Bacon, where should I start?”
As the RPM of the room began to redline, Space Bacon wanted to make sure there would be fireworks. One way to ensure that: Sarcophagus encore. Bang motherfucking bang bitches. That concrete box shifted into Draculas dungeon with the quickness. Lord have mercy. The heaviness of that encore should be put on a pedestal at the Smithsonian. When they landed in the jam, I almost called 9-11 in an altered state of paranoia and fear. My heart was viciously palpitating. It was concerning. I thought the room was going to be decimated into rubble. I grabbed a pillar and held on for dear life. Thank God I had my Albuterol inhaler handy. I am glad everyone made it out alive.
The month of April carries an essence of change. As the flowers of Spring blossom and the karmic laws of nature move with Earth’s axial tilt, Space Bacon will gear up for their next round of shows in new markets. The unquestionable familiarity of people, places, and things can lead to subconscious stagnancy in all of our lives. New places with new people always inspire creativity. I look forward to taking the next steps in my own life with Bacon’s music as the soundtrack. The next level of this journey will inject a lot of passion into our self-discovery. Whatever happens, I’ll be there and I hope to see you. God bless.
