Sour Widows at Rickshaw Stop
Story and photos by Belicia Luevano – April 20, 2023
Sour Widows drove from Oakland to San Francisco’s Rickshaw Stop for a Monday night musical treat. Fellow Oakland band, Rose Haze, set the atmosphere for the night with their blend of psych-rock shoegaze and overall otherworldly analog synth waves. Both bands were there to support Chicago indie folk travelers, Tenci.
Sour Widows played a rare duo set with Susanna Thomson and Maia Sinaiko onstage sans drummer Max Edelman; a “hashtag throwback Monday” (Sinaiko) lineup of their starting days. While a different experience without their drummer, the simplicity of the stripped-down set gave us a meditative experience that let us soak in their lyrics and guitar tones with silence in between to let it sink in. The two were in sync the whole night, luring us in both with their hauntingly beautiful harmonies and matching black attire. They even kept in step with each other as they swayed and hit their pedalboards. The house lights shone two rays on only them, making it feel like they were the only people in the venue.
The evening proved it’s worth going out on a Monday night. If I hadn’t, I would have missed a setlist filled with surprises. We were given an unreleased song “Initiation” that built up anticipation for more to come. Had I decided to stay in, I would be sorry I never heard a track that they “never ever ever ever ever played live,” (Thomson).
Glad I’m still here to type this write-up after Sinaiko joked, “Now we have to kill you.”
The night continued with both an alluring and relaxed vibe, going between captivating sets and wholesome back-and-forth chatter between the band and the audience. Shoutout to whichever crowd member sang “How To Save A Life” by The Fray while tuning was going on.
Sprinkled in the setlist was their first-ever release that only exists on an early DIY pressing and a song Sinaiko had learned just two days ago, executed beautifully.
The evening concluded with the title track of their 2021 EP, Crossing Over, a seven-and-a-half minute song that was the perfect patient fade away of their set, it felt like a candle slowly burning out. All that was left was a feeling of peace and clarity.
This set must feel like the calm before the storm (a great storm). They’re set to travel nationwide on back-to-back tours — May with Surf Curse and June with Duster. After wrapping those up they’ll have a month of rest before they take the stage at one of the Bay’s biggest festivals, Outsidelands, in August.
They’ll be making pit stop in Austin on June 14th at a show Howdy Gals is proud to present at The Ballroom with renowned Austin locals, Blushing and Alexalone. Tickets available online soon!
Setlist
Big Dogs
Initiation
Bathroom Stall
Tie Slow
The Dead Are Still With Us
Crossing Over
