Somos, a local rock band from Boston, kicked off their second full-length album, “First Day Backâ€, by having a record release show at the Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Their supporting acts included Animal Talk, The Superweakers and Petal, who performed with tremendous energy and enthusiasm.
Petal, a soft indie rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, performed before Somos at 9 p.m. Frontwoman Kiley Lotz explained to the audience that she just returned from doing a tour in Europe all alone and that she was very happy to be back. Many other women came up to the front against the stage to support and listen to Petal, bobbing their heads and actively giving their full attention to the performance. Many reacted positively to “Heaven,†a popular song off of their debut album “Shameâ€. Couples held hands and others smiled while they played the happy, calming tune.
Before playing “Silly Heartâ€, Lotz said to “bear with her†because it is a difficult song for her to play. Containing deep emotional lyrics about the loss of a loved one and moving on after giving one’s self to another, the whole venue respectably fell silent as Lotz genuinely sang with heart and fervor.
Everyone chattered with excitement and eagerness as Somos confidently came up to the stage at 10 p.m. As soon as the band started playing, the crowd released big, active energy that lasted until the very last song. A few individuals crowd-surfed, as many fans held them high in their hands. Many could be seen and heard screaming along to the lyrics, completely enveloped in the musical experience.
The band opened with “Thorn in the Side,†a catchy new track off of their album, “First Day Backâ€. People bounced to the beat and some had the lyrics memorized. It was received very well by the audience. The mood and energy was slowed down when Somos members began playing “Violent Declineâ€, another song off of the new album.
The crowd erupted with delight and passion when an older song from their first full-length album, “Temple of Plentyâ€, came up. The song, “Familiar Themeâ€, caused dozens of people to surge forward, bumping into each other with their arms raised high, enthusiastically yelling out the lyrics.
Somos performed a mix of songs from both albums, enabling them to showcase their new material while also playing hits such as “Domesticâ€, “Lives of Others†and “Dead Wrongâ€. Constant cheering was heard from the audience. In between songs, singer Michael Fiorentino said thank you several times to all those who came out and for supporting “First Day Backâ€. They closed the successful show with “Streets Upon Streetsâ€, originally from a split EP with the band Have Mercy.
Somos will continue their tour throughout the month, ending on March 26th, at The Space in Hamden, Connecticut. Â