KMFDM celebrated their 40-year journey with the LET GO US Tour, accompanied by LA-based Sour Tongue as the supporting act. The event on March 27, 2024, marked the tour's second-to-last stop, held at the Wonder Ballroom in NE Portland.
In the past, sitting through an opening act you’ve never heard of could induce the same riveting anticipation of waiting for your number to be called at the DMV. Nowadays, however, the landscape is changing again with an abundance of immensely talented emerging acts cropping up everywhere and whether these unknown bands will impress or disappoint has become a coin toss. In the case of Sour Tongue, they fell on the side of the coin that left a lasting impression and they are now added to my radar indefinitely. They quickly snagged the audience's attention and cycled through a very energetic setlist that changed styles on a dime, while maintaining the perfect amount of punk attitude to bring cohesion to it all. The truly amazing energy from the vocalist and deft musicianship by the entire band made this set one of the best introductions to a new band for me in years. I look forward to seeing them play again in the future!
This was my first chance to actually see KMFDM live. I have sonically linked up with this band throughout my life and they have served as a soundtrack through many different periods for me, and this performance was everything I could hope for. The first thing I noticed was the elaborate lighting rig that hemmed in the drum riser and neatly sprawled out over the rest of the stage. The presence from Lucia Cifarelli and Sascha Konietzko standing at their respective steel podiums gave the appropriate feel of a dystopian sermon that was delivered with a good helping of irony and hope. Guitarist Andee Blacksugar and drummer Andy Selway wielded their sonic powers with inspiring finesse and energy. The whole presentation was superb and the show seemed to be crafted with the live experience being the most important aspect. This yielded an infectious sense of joy in the crowd with consistent energy throughout the entire 22 song set. This to me was a true testament to what KMFDM have created and continue to create, with hopefully more years of creation to come.
