Review and photos by Izzy Hory
On September 21, I got the chance to cover Chicago indie rock band Friko at Rickshaw Stop, along with Ohioan folk artist villagerrr, who opened the night. The pairing was quite a contrast. villagerrr brought calm, earnest alt-country to the stage before Friko completely commanded the 400-person room with the kind of crafted chaos you’d expect from a headlining band at an arena.
Opening the night was villagerrr, the project of Ohio songwriter Mark Allen Scott. His band name should be “three first names”. His set was very sweet and calming, with a twangy alternative sound that was easy to sway along to. I really enjoyed hearing “Come Right Back” and “Swimming” live, as I had just added them to my playlist. He was a bit shy, but you could tell he and his band were grateful to be there, letting the instrumentals shine as much as the warm vocals.
While Friko’s sound is very much indie rock, their live show felt a lot grander than your typical coming-of-age alternative artist. Lead singer Niko Kapetan’s expressive vocals reminded me of English singer-songwriter Declan McKenna, shifting from soft inflections to raspy peaks and using his voice like an instrument to heighten the songs’ emotions. His range was seriously impressive.
The band opened with “Guess” and followed with “Still Around,” two songs from their newest album, Something Worth Waiting For. Much of the album centers on transit, inspired by the two years Friko spent on the road after their debut: trains, bicycles, hot air balloons, and the feeling of constantly being on your way somewhere. This sense of movement really translated well live because it was impossible to stay still during their set. Even when the band slowed things down, I was anticipating their next move.
I was especially drawn to Niko’s sporadic hand movements throughout the show and the way Korgan Robb, the guitarist, and David Fuller, the bassist, seemed completely in sync with his energy. They would freeze together for a few seconds for dramatic effect and then immediately snap back into the music. It was so coordinated, but it didn’t feel overly rehearsed. It felt like that’s just what they do. The band really seemed to know who they are and the type of immersion they wanted to create on stage. The drummer, Bailey Minzenberger, was incredible too, consistently adding beautiful background vocals and harmonies while bringing so much power and rhythm with his drum playing.
One of my favorite moments was during “Certainty,” when Bailey hopped on guitar, sat on the floor, and sang along with Niko as he played the piano. I didn’t know where to look because each member of the band was truly absorbed in their own world as I stood there in awe. It was a really special moment to watch.
By the final few songs, everyone was moshing and jumping around. The band played a cover of “Ceremony” by New Order before closing the set with their very bouncy track “Get Numb to It!” It was such a fun, youthful spirit to be part of on a random Monday night, but what made the night even better was that the noticeably older crowd standing around the edges of the pit seemed to be grooving along just as much.
