Review: E.R.I.E. & Sydney Worthley at ADCO
“The balance between reflective space and energetic, in-your-face moments was a perfect representation of E.R.I.E.’s ability to play to both sides of their personality within a succinct, polished three-minute song.“
Nearly every chair on Albany Distilling Company’s patio and deck was filled with eager listeners when I strolled in on the Friday night of E.R.I.E.’s show, the smell of tomato sauce from DeFazio’s pizza wafting off of each table.
After waiting a few minutes, I was relieved to snag a table towards the back of the brick-walled courtyard. My mistake for thinking a crowd wouldn’t come out to see one of Albany’s favorite indie-rock groups just because it was Labor Day weekend—as guitarist Matt Delgado aptly commented, “If you build it, they will come,” thanking the venue for booking live music on a traditionally low-key date.
Before the energy of E.R.I.E., though, was the melodic vocals of Sydney Worthley, their opener for the evening. Worthley and the guys from E.R.I.E. have frequently supported each other on stage and on records, with guitarist TJ Foster and drummer Chad Flewwelling accompanying her at many of her shows. She was even featured prominently on their 2023 release, Suburban Mayhem. It was a more acoustic, mellow set than Worthley’s typical stunning belters, but with sound bouncing so stiffly off the brick walls, it was likely a strategic switch.
The softer, steadier rock of the set brought out the more soulful side of Worthley’s vocals and allowed for a different side of her artistry to take center stage. And, unknowingly, the softer sound would lead perfectly into an impromptu jam session between Flewwelling and bassist Moses Torres when a cord broke and Worthley had to pause for several minutes. Soon back on the mic, she ended with a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Style,” which Foster dedicated to one of his daughters. And, yes, it was adorable to watch her jump up from her chair in the middle of the venue and grab her little sister’s hand to dance wildly.
If the atmosphere was chill and lowkey to start, E.R.I.E. immediately took it into their own hands to ramp up the energy. Beginning with one of their grittier tunes, “Bad Man’s World,” Foster and Delgado jumped into strong, punky riffs. And I mean literally jumped, as Foster was visibly holding back his movements to match Worthley’s softer vibes. Now, the guys were free to run between mic stands and play off one another, the chemistry palpable in the fresh evening air.
“Picture of You” was up next, a raw, emotional song detailing the loss of a friend, the tenderness of which is counterbalanced by the fast-paced drums and a bass line that was even more prevalent live. In keeping with the boisterous nature of the set, the band leaned into their edgier side with a cover of The Interrupters’ “Raised By Wolves,” giving their thanks to Aimee Interrupter upon the closing notes. Though the initial songs were rambunctiously fun, the night’s highlight came from the debut of four new tracks soon to be released as part of a multi-EP drop over the next several months.
Of these four new tracks, “Over It” was a stand out, both lyrically and sonically. Staccato rhythms from strings and drums served to place clever verses in the forefront, while providing contrast to the full-on rock chorus. The balance between reflective space and energetic, in-your-face moments was a perfect representation of E.R.I.E.’s ability to play to both sides of their personality within a succinct, polished three-minute song.
Directly after this track, they added one more aspect to their already dynamic character: Dad Rock. The guys joked that, though they were all fathers—they had six kids at the show between the four of them on this night—they had yet to debut a true “Dad Rock” song. However, the frustration they felt every time someone spewed false claims that “live music is dead” served as the basis for new anthem “Hard Headed”, loudly declaring the eternal greatness of a live show.
Perhaps the most fatherly moment came at the very end, though, when after asking the crowd to sing along to previous single, “Can’t Stop Runnin,” the request was met with an enthusiastic “No!” from a certain crowd member. “That was my kid, I can tell,” Delgado laughed as his son smirked up at him with a slice of pizza in hand. It just goes to show: no matter how great of a show you put on, you’ll never be cool to your kids.