The Last Dinner Party, King Isis stun at the Gothic Theater | August 6th, 2024
Photo — Juli Yanai (@jbelle.photo)
A crowd stretched down South Broadway and around the corner. Corsets crowded around while feet in Mary Jane’s tapped the pavement with excitement. Everyone was gathered outside The Gothic Theater, and we were about to indulge in U.K. indie femme band The Last Dinner Party. After their single, “Nothing Matters” blew up in 2023, the band continued to gain traction, playing shows and festivals like Glastonbury in 2024.
Naturally, anticipation was at an all-time high for their set at the Gothic Theater, at the Denver leg of their North American tour. As shower-goers streamed into the packed out theater, electricity buzzed through the air.
To kick things off right with a punch, special guest and opener King Isis led the way.
The first time I was introduced to King Isis was as an opener for Mehro this past Spring, but in the span of several months she has grown immensely as a performer. The charming and at times shy performer who stood before the crowd with nothing but a guitar and her hauntingly beautiful vocals has become a powerhouse of a performer.
The chemistry between her and her band, as well as her comfort taking up space and leading the way on stage is incredible. I remember being delighted the first time I saw her perform, but seeing her again with a full band after hearing her songs on repeat simply blew me away.
For those who aren’t familiar with King Isis, she’s a queer indie artist based out of Oakland, California that melds genres seamlessly and has a knack for lyricism that’s playfully vulnerable. In songs like “4leaf clover”, “Monki” and her latest track “Dissonance” she immerses listeners in her own explorations of complex emotions with expressive vocals via a unique, edgy sound.
The self-described “punk rock fairy prinxess” is on heavy rotation in my playlists and definitely an artist to watch in 2024.
Her performance at the Gothic Theater included a mix of original songs and covers that she made her own, appetizing the audience before The Last Dinner Party came to satisfy our hunger. And indeed, with an entrance song as the cue, the crowd began roaring as members of The Last Dinner Party began to trickle on stage.
Bringing full energy from the start, vocalist Abigail Morris danced around the stage engaging band members while singing.
Clicking her cowboy boots and raising her arms to reign in the audience, Morris flashed a smile as her jet-black hair whipped around. Around her, bandmates Emily Roberts (lead guitar, mandolin, flute), Georgia Davies (bass), Aurora Nishevci (keyboards, vocals) and Lizzie Mayland (vocals, guitar) each brought their own flair while shredding their respective instruments.
The band exuded an effortless cool in their signature Victorian-inspired, avant garde style.
Singing crowd favorites like “Sinner”, and reeling the crowd in with playful banter, their presence was magnetic and engaging. And at times also giggling together between songs, we were reminded that they’re just a group of gals having fun, enjoying their youth and taking us along for the ride.
Their joy on stage was infectious, and as they sang songs like one of my favorites, “My Lady of Mercy”, my mind shot back to my Catholic school days of tomfoolery with friends and questioning identity.
But while the band is youthful, fun and fresh their music doesn’t stray from the dark side. Especially with their newer songs they’ve been very intentional about creating a more full-bodied expression of topics ranging from gender, sexuality and relationships through a lens of authenticity. Sometimes having a sensual edge, their music is an open book and their performances reflect this too.
They sing and dance around the entire stage freely, say what they want, and speak with a youthful candor that reminds us all that’s okay to let loose.
And to close out a night of femme-powered music in true TLDP style, the band introduced their last song stating, “And remember — Nothing Matters!”, before launching into song as the crowd yelled with joy. Of course, they did end up coming back out for an encore but we wouldn’t have minded if they had gone through the entire set all over again for what may just have been the show of the year.
