The Soccer Mommy hometown show on October 1st can be summed up in one word: adoration.
The end.
Ok, I’ll explain.
In my many years of attending concerts, I have been to many hometown shows of artists, and yes, the crowds tend to be more vocal and appreciative. But this show was on another level. The historic venue – which is scheduled to close next year – can hold 1,000 and for this sold-out show, it did.
Soccer Mommy (aka Sophia Allison) calls Nashville home, but has been on the road for several weeks. After a break, she will head back out and even pop up in Southern California. Many of her shows are sold out, so if you can score a ticket, do it.
SOCCER MOMMY | PHOTO by STEPHANIE PEPPER
Allison may have gotten famous by making music in her room, but now she has the full band set up with guitarist Julian Powell, guitarist-keyboardist Rodrigo Avendano, bassist Graeme Goetz, and drummer Rollum Haas. After her 2018 album “Clean,” she grew more confident in the studio and in 2020 released “Color Theory,” a cohesive record about topics like depression, illness, and death. While that sounds dark, her delicate voice and the ‘90s vibe bring songs like “Circle the Drain,” “Bloodstream,” and “Yellow is the Color of Her Eyes” to life. But how does it translate in person?
Show opener Squirrel Flower (aka Ella Williams) gave an ethereal performance as the vaxxed or negative-test crowd filed in, many seeming to know each other. Since Soccer Mommy is from Nashville, one can assume there were many family and friends in attendance and the mood was festive. I felt like I had walked into a friend’s home and we were gathering to welcome one of our friends back after a long journey.
SOCCER MOMMY STAGE SET | PHOTO by STEPHANIE PEPPER
After the lights dimmed, a bass beat began as the band took the stage. Then, with a red lightsaber leading the way, the cloaked Soccer Mommy took the stage looking like badass Sith Lord and under the cloak and dagger of it all, we heard the phrase, “Luke… I am your Mommy!”
SOCCER “LUKES” MOMMY | PHOTO by STEPHENIE PEPPER
The audience went insane. In fact, anytime Allison was not singing, the crowd was screaming. There was no silence…. just singing or screaming, or calling out song titles, or “We love you!!”
Soccer Mommy led off with “Bloodstream” and played through three new songs before saying, “Here’s some old songs.” Again, screams.
The band sounded phenomenal and at the end of “Crawling in My Skin,” they jammed hard and fast, which the crowd loved. Allison introduced the band members and each one got loud applause and yells. While Allison may “be” Soccer Mommy, the band was shown as equals and not hired guns.
A crowd favorite song was “Cool” which again led to lots of cheers and applause. But after “Night Swimming,” the band left the stage for Allison to be alone and acoustic. “Still Clean” and the Slowdive cover “Dagger” were beautiful and intimate.
The band returned to rock the rest of the set and the vibe did not decrease at all. And through the rest of the set and encore – which included another crowd favorite, “Your Dog” – the crowd continued to give appreciation.
SOCCER MOMMY | PHOTO by STEPHANIE PEPPER
Adoration. That is all I felt all night. A room full of people in love with Soccer Mommy. Which to be honest was a nice room to be in.
You can be part of the Soccer Mommy love for yourself when the tour resumes on October 16th. For the SoCal crowd, Soccer Mommy hits the Fonda Theater on October 28th and Music Box in San Diego on October 27th.
