Fans gathered in the Campus Center Auditorium on a rainy Saturday night at 7 p.m. for the WMUA Spring Concert, headlined by Feeble Little Horse. The London and Amherst-based band The Anti Citizens, who won WMUA’s Battle of the Bands this past March, opened the show.
A merch table at the entrance featured WMUA sweatshirts, T-shirts, stickers and bottle openers, along with DIY shirts made by The Anti Citizens. Fans clustered near the front of the stage, chatting before the music began.
The Anti Citizens kicked off their set at 7:30 p.m. in the dimly blue-lit auditorium. Their energetic performance featured intense trumpet solos, extensive jams and passionate vocals reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. The band played their new single, “See Forever,” a groovy, upbeat track that got the crowd warmed up to dance.
The singer, Jackson Hersom, thanked the audience for the opportunity to open for Feeble Little Horse, explaining that their bass player has been a fan of the band for years and was excited to be able to play in this show.
Feeble Little Horse, a noise pop band from Pittsburgh formed in 2021, returned to live performances in 2024 after releasing their second album, Girl with Fish, in 2023. On March 11, Feeble Little Horse released the single “This Is Real” through Saddle Creek Records.
They opened their set with an unreleased track, “Doorway,” instantly captivating the audience with their shoegaze-inspired sound. Lead singer and bassist Lydia Slocum introduced the band’s new guitarist, Rob, noting it was his first time performing with the band live.
Cheers erupted when the band launched into their next track “Sweet,” with its catchy intro riff catching the familiar crowd by surprise. The lush and droning shoegaze choruses of the performances interrupted the bright and upbeat noise pop bridges, layered with twinkly guitar picking and ethereal vocals, keeping the audience entranced as they swayed to the music.
The powerful opening chords of their 2023 track “Freak” drew instant applause from the familiar crowd, who began to nod, sway and sing along with Slocum’s quirky lyrics and delivery. The song’s filtered guitar tones were enriched by an array of pedals at the feet of both the guitarists and Slocum. Throughout the set, the guitarists often fixated on their pedalboards, weaving the song’s heavy textures.
Their 2021 hit “Chores” ignited the first mosh pit of the night as fans bounced and pushed one another around. Fans shouted the lyrics as they danced around and grooved to the song. At the end of the song, the band playfully teased the riff from “Sweet” again. Guitarist Sebastian Kinsler joked about repeating it after every song, to which the audience laughed.
Kinsler stood at a stand equipped with a noise pad, periodically triggering sound bites to introduce songs like “Termites,” along with pre-recorded backing tracks that elevated the band’s overall performance.
They followed with “You Got It Babe,” a slowcore-style interlude from their 2021 debut album Hayday, offering a brief but calming contrast. Kinsler asked the audience if anyone recognized the song, which a few members of the audience cheered in response to.
Feeble Little Horse played another new unreleased track that seemed to still be a work in progress, however, it is clear that the band has new material in the works.
The band was warm and engaging with the audience, giving the night a relaxed, intimate vibe. During a break between songs, they chatted about UMass architecture and what it was like finding their way around campus. Later, during a tuning pause, the band jokingly broke into riffs from Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name,” earning an enthusiastic applause.
Feeble Little Horse closed the night out with “Down,” from their 2021 EP “Modern Tourism.” Slocum and Kinsler introduced the song in monotone unison, saying, “This next song is our last song. We have played it last at every show since our first show ever except for one and something very bad happened and we have to say this sentence.”
The lively intro had the familiar crowd jumping along to the energetic track. As the song neared its climax, Slocum began passionately screaming her part, triggering a mosh pit toward the front of the audience. Fans pushed each other around and danced passionately as the night came to an end.
Crissy Saucier can be reached at [email protected].
