Show Review

It was a long drive from Dallas, Texas to Fort Lauderdale. Twenty six hours too long the band complains in between songs, but “we’re glad to be here” shouts an energetic Brandin Lea, lead vocals to the band Flickerstick.

Flicketstick, VH1’s 2001 reality protégé, appears stronger and more energetic than ever as Fort Lauderdale marks the beginning of their promotional tour for their unreleased record, which the band hopes to have out by the late fall. Flickerstick recorded the album in Chicago with known producer Keith Cleversley—the mastermind behind the classics of Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips.

Experiencing some technical difficulties early into the show, the band laughed it off and continued on. Flickerstick played a solid hour at the Culture Room—filling the time with the old familiarities of “Coke” and “Beautiful” while the majority experimenting with new material from their upcoming album. Flickerstick’s fall release is definitely an upgrade to their 2001 debut Welcoming Home the Astronauts. The new material is instrumentally heavier, louder and more vocally challenging compared to the 2001 release.

Flickerstick’s performance was intense, almost explosive. Though the Culture Room is rather small—the sound is great, mix that with raw talent and it makes for one hell of a show. The crowd was small, a mix of loyal fans with skeptic newcomers.

After the show, Flickerstick hung around to sell their merchandise and greet fans. “We’re one of the few bands that hangs out and meets people in the cities we play. We really enjoy meeting new people,” an exhausted, but spirited Lea stressed.

Lea contributes Flickerstick’s successful and lively shows to a pre-show preparation of ‘cigarettes, Jager and a lot of shit talk.”

Following a show at the Social in Orlando, you might catch Flickerstick somewhere along the way on their national tour where Lea promises “we’ll get really drunk and do it all over again.”