REVIEW: Byrdhouse Records and Super Dark Collective Presents: Boy Jr., the Grand Mals, & Stella and the Reptilians
12/01/2024 at No Fun, Troy
All photos within by Debi Gustafson
“I have to hand it to them: Boy Jr. on a bad night is better than some folks on a good night.”
Boy Jr., accompanied by their guitarist and drummer, soldiered through their album release show this past Sunday like true professionals. The artist prefaced the performance by sharing that they had not been feeling well that evening (actually, I believe their exact words were that they were experiencing a “stage five tummy situation”) which made me laugh at first, but I have a good amount of empathy for anyone enduring an upset stomach in public, much less standing in front of an entire audience that’s expecting a full length show.
For this, I have to hand it to them: Boy Jr. on a bad night is better than some folks on a good night. The show was part of a mini tour for their recent album release entitled, I Love Getting Dumped!. Singing songs about difficult breakups while feeling physically ill is in itself a Herculean feat, so whether you consider them a consummate performer or a glutton for pain, I commend them for sticking out what must’ve been pretty touch-and-go there for a while.
Boy Jr. describes themself as follows (though please note this is not an exhaustive list): “10 bands in a trench coat / escape room lite / relatable bangers / internet pop? / hero having sex with the villain OST / jersey mike’s sub pop / gay anarchy”. It’s clear they don’t want anyone to pin them down, but if I had to take a stab at it, “queer internet pop” does sum it up nicely.
It’s worth pointing out that Boy Jr.’s voice sounds just as good live as it does recorded. The song “I Hope You Feel Terrible” showcases the artist’s range and clear-as-a-bell vibrato; you could hear the emotion in each word. Their show juxtaposed that same realness one minute against pure silliness the next. At one point, the audience was instructed to “act like a Jell-o shot” and the crowd started moving around in a half-mosh, half-skank kind of whirlpool. The energy was fun and lively but I didn’t feel the need to retreat to the back to save my face, which was nice.
Prior to Boy Jr. taking the stage, the Grand Mals kicked the night off and softened everyone up with a post-punk, mid-2000s indie atmosphere–a genre I have a real love and affinity for. The group filled the air with sweet, and at times very powerful, vocal harmonies. Their songs are melodic and catchy, but with a bit of melancholic angularity to them. Their sound reminds me a bit of the experimental rock group Grass is Green out of Boston mixed with the Australian indie band Vacations. They slotted seamlessly up against Stella and the Reptilians who followed their set.
Albany’s Stella and the Reptilians ushered in a dreamy alternative indie-pop vibe to the night, carried gracefully by singer/songwriter Lily Morgan’s sweet-sounding vocals and sentimental lyrics. The band’s music has an overall DIY-basement show feel in its approach to songwriting but with a much more polished quality to the sound of the songs themselves. Though much more subdued in flavor than the headliner, Stella and the Reptilians’ heartfelt and honest lyrics felt in alignment with the equally heartfelt and honest lyrics of Boy Jr.
Boy Jr. started the night off making the crowd laugh and more or less ended the night the same way: dowsing themself in water from a plastic bottle someone handed them, presumably to help stave off feeling sick. I heard them remark before I slipped out the doors: “Once again, I did not piss myself.”
You can find Boy Jr. on Instagram and Twitter/X at @boyjrofficial and on Spotify and Bandcamp
Find The Grand Mals on Instagram at @thegrandmals and on Spotify
Find Stella and the Reptilians on Instagram at @stellaandthereptilians and on Spotify
