Pom Poko live were sooo much louder, weirder and ecstatic in person than I imagined. I loved it. The Oslo math punks played last Wednesday at Salt Lake’s Kilby Court venue to maybe 80 people. Those in attendance will someday be able to tell their grandkids, I saw Pom Poko play in a converted garage shed in front of a few dozen people before they broke out at Wembley Stadium. Here is what they played.
Pom Poko live cherry pick Champion a bit
The Pom Poko live show ripped through many hits from Champion, one of my Top 3 favorite albums of 2024. Interestingly, the band played a bit lightly from their third album, hitting eight of Champion’s eleven songs. The Norwegians spent more of their hour plus on stage playing from 2019’s Birthday and 2021’s Cheater. This may be a function of the band showing off all their hits on their first tour of the U.S.
The poppier numbers from the Pom Poko live show came from Champion, although I have only a little exposure to the band’s first two albums. Standouts were the record’s title track, “Pile of Wood” and a wild, extended version of “My Family,” which has become Pom Poko’s signature song and an assertion of their close relationship.
I won’t take any issue with the song selection but actually yes I guess I will.
I would have loved to hear their touching ballad “Bell,” which shows off some of Ragnhild Fangel’s best work and unbearably cute backing vocals (“You know/I’m here/Don’t stress”). Likewise “Fumble” with its flute and enchanting “doo doo’s” would have been a treat. Or if those seemed too precious for a live show, the funky, chiming “Druid, Fox and Dragon.” This one walks off so much like a Stone Roses tune, I could have bought into an 8-minute jam.
These feel like misses tbh.
Martin Tonne turns Kilby Court upside down
It is difficult not to think of Deerhoof watching Martin Tonne’s incredible fret work. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that kind of mastery of the instrument. It is hard to take your eyes off the assured, dissonant licks and mesmerizing use of pedals. Tonne trained in classical jazz and you see it in way he eschews traditional chords in favor of squeals and syncopating with Fangel’s vocals.
Her halting English initially comes off as shyness — she was struggling to describe driving through Utah’s high desert and I had to remember: Wait, her first language is Norwegian. I can’t imagine flying 2,000 miles and trying to tell a story from stage in a foreign langue.
Interesting to me, she really has two gears. First, vocals: Here she plays it completely straight. She sings with her hands, and occasionally strikes a school teacher pose but for the most part she’s all business delivering lyrics. Second gear is when she’s not singing. When she’s just enjoying the audience and her band mates (and not singing), Fangel plays air drums, jumps up and down, fast walks in place and does a little mosh routine.
Fangel is all smiles.
Pom Poko live show was loud and amazing
Sometimes I’ll be getting ready for a show like the Pom Poko live performance, where I’ve joined the party a little late. I’ll think, “I should go back and explore their back catalogue” strictly selfishly to know some of the added songs played. Usually I don’t. In fact, I’ll feel ahead of the game just to review the latest release just so I can be reminded of lyrics for singalong purposes.
For reals though I intend to at least go back and buy Cheater.
I hope Pom Poko returns to a bigger, loud stage and that Salt Lake City hosts the band before their breakthrough at Wembley! Buy a copy of Champion or one of Pom Poko’s first two albums at their website.
