Concert Review: MisterWives @ The Anthem (9/12/23)

“Don’t fight it, feel it! Feel better than when you got here!” – Mandy Lee (pumping up the The Anthem audience)

The indie pop band MisterWives was joined by Bishop Briggs and Raffaella at The Anthem on September 12th for a very fine evening of music.

MisterWives is touring for their fourth album, Nosebleeds (via Photo Finish / Resilient Little Records), and boy did they want all of us in the burgeoning crowd to feel every beat and nuance of that album. Of the 17 songs they performed in total, 13 (of 14) came from Nosebleeds!

I have seen MisterWives twice before, once opening for Metric and once at the 2014 Firefly Music Festival. Both sets were before they released their first album, Our Own House (via Photo Finish). Since, I have not stayed up on their recent releases, so this show proved to be both a solid re-introduction and a thorough immersion into who they are today. And I liked it. It was a fun, energetic display that showcased a band that is quite good at what they do. And although The Anthem was not quite sold out, it was clear from the reactions of the audience members that decided to make the trek down to The Wharf for the show were also very pleased.

A giant cube was positioned in the center of the stage (something that Bishop Briggs incorporated in her set as well). One could see its inner-workings of pipes and lights, until images, lyrics, or colors flickered and pulsed in an impressive array of visual stimulation. Lead singer, Mandy Lee, stood upon this high pedestal as the show started, looking across at her fans (and future fans), from those pressed up in the front, to those that took a less social approach up in the nosebleeds (balcony). Then she descended the steps to the main stage to join her four compatriots.

They kicked off with the one-two punch of “Out of Your Mind” and “Dagger”, the first two tracks from Nosebleeds. “Out of Your Mind” speaks to acknowledging that the current relationship is going as badly as the last one, with lies and backstabbing, and finally explosively calling out the bad behavior. The softly whispered croon of the chorus ‘Use me up, ’til you’ve had enough, blood on your hands, it isn’t mine, if you think I’ll lay down and die’ is especially powerful as a lead in to the force of the message, that the transgressor is out of their mind. Both songs gave a confident glimpse into what MisterWives was selling this evening, and the audience was there for it.

MisterWives first formed in NYC, partially as an excuse for Mandy to form an 1980’s cover band. That didn’t materialize, instead she joined forces with William Hehir (bass) and Etienne Bowler (drums) to start MisterWives. Later Marc Campbell (guitar) and Mike Murphy (keyboard) joined. Mike also dabbled in the saxophone for a solo bit during the “Where Do We Go From Here? / rock bottom” mash-up.

Later came “All the Same”, which may have been my favorite song of the evening. It starts slow (comparatively), building towards a satisfyingly upbeat and atmospheric (and uncontrollably head nodding) chorus.

Mandy had a wardrobe malfunction during “Sideways”, her top not quite doing its job, so William literally took the shirt off his own back for her to wear. The malfunction was not surprising, as Mandy jogged across every inch of the stage, dancing or mugging for the audience. “Sideways” was the perfect foil in that regard, as she danced and sang to the rafters during the chorus, her full voice permeating through our souls.

One of the hits they played not from Nosebleeds was “SUPERBLOOM”, which Mandy said is a reminder of our own resilience. It starts with a bit of a doo-wop sound, with a message of optimism. They encouraged the audience to sing the catchy, funky chorus for one or two rounds.

Another hit (their third most listened to song on Spotify) was “Our Own House”, the title track of their first album, and as Mandy put it ‘back to where it all started’. It has a certain vibe that reminds me of Of Monsters and Men, and delves into the unflappable pursuit of building a life together.

Rather than exit and return for an encore (a trend that seems to be catching on), they simply finished with the title track of Nosebleeds. The song was even heavier in tempo and sound than what came before. In the writing process, it was Mandy’s first song for the new record, and proved to be the theme of all that came later. It speaks to sitting far away from the life that you want, but also being open to accepting yourself no matter what.

I wasn’t surprised that MisterWives was still bringing it after four albums, but I was surprised at how much more I enjoyed it above expectations. As per Mandy’s quote at the beginning, I did. I left feeling better.

Get a copy of Nosebleeds, or simply go to one of their shows as they’ll probably play the whole thing!

Setlist