Sego @ Songbyrd - 5/6/2019
Sego at Songbyrd (Photo by Mauricio Castro / @themauricio)
Spoiler alert: Sego does not suck. Don’t be alarmed when you hear someone yell out, "Sego sucks!" at one of their shows. After all, Sego Sucks is the title of the LA-based, Utah-born rock band's sophomore album. And after catching them live, Sego should be your new favorite rock band. Singer/guitarist Spencer Petersen is top-notch in delivering disaffected and detached spoken word observations on the people and places around him in ways that recall Cake or even Beck. (From “Shame:” “All my friends’ teeth are turning gold, but I’m the only one that’s smiling.”) In speaking to Consequence of Sound, he had this to say about LA:
Since my transplant from Utah, I’ve found myself observing and drawn into many of its stereotypes. These are probably regular stereotypes seen in any old town, but that are amplified by a city dominated by party and entertainment culture where youth seems to be extended. It’s a cross section of artists and industry. It’s relatable, and cool, and sad, and funny.
Those observations give way to outbursts in a heartbeat on songs like “Shame” and “Give Me,” pushed even further by drummer Thomas Carroll. He drove the blistering pace of the night, and the rest of the band followed, pogoing and headbanging in unison. Sego balances the dance-punk energy of The Rapture and !!! with the weird rock inclinations of Mellow Gold-era Beck to create an excitingly electric show. To close things out, Sego invited openers Chardonnay Boys on stage for album highlight “Neon Me Out.”
Sego Sucks is out now through Roll Call Records.
Opening for Sego was the rock group Chardonnay Boys. Their latest release is the single “Spritzer” through Tiny Horns.
