In a sea of leather jackets, plumes of cigarette smoke curled. They rose to the ceiling, just like the spirits in the Paramount, creeping upwards in anticipation of bar italia’s set. I was a body in this crowd, a body pushed and shoved cathartically, engaged in the naive chase to reach the barrier in order to feel some sort of proximity to a band I love.
Following sets by Lifeguard and Horsegirl, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi, Sam Fenton, and Nina Cristante, stepped from the shadows into the spotlight. The trio took their places—Jezmi on the left, Sam on the right, Nina in the center, statuesque as ever. A beat for the crowd to cheer, and bar italia opened with “my kiss era.” Never forget what came before…
To bridge into their new album, bar italia played “Fundraiser.” When Some Like It Hot dropped in October, I was indifferent. Tracks like “Plastered” and “the lady vanishes” felt contrived, drifting away from the lo-fi garage rock sound I’ve always loved. In general, the album’s overuse of quiet-loud-quiet dynamics and its overly polished production left me jaded. But hearing Some Like It Hot live made the album make sense. It’s cinematic. It needs the volatility of a room—the crescendos, the push and pull of bodies—to feel complete. In headphones, the album can fall flat, both emotionally and sonically.
After the show, I explained to my friend that the last time we saw bar italia (2023, Mercury Lounge) was a gig. Saturday night was a performance. There was an intangible element of artistry that furthered the dramatic effect of Some Like it Hot. Nina’s white dress exaggerated her fluid movements, a wind machine tousling her hair: a deity among us mere mortals. Songs like “Some Like it Hot” and “Marble Arch,” both of which the band played, were climactic.
bar italia may have shed some of their old mystique, but they haven’t lost their spark. During the show’s encore, the entire floor erupted into a mosh pit for “skylinny.” If a bedroom project can evolve into a full-fledged anthem, their fans should have no reason to fear the band will entirely lose their roots.