Apollo Ghosts' lax promotional approach meant that they never achieved widespread success, but their farewell show at the Rickshaw reinforced the beloved local status. The spacious theatre was packed and sweaty, and even the fact that this was the band's last-ever performance couldn't put a damper on the elated mood.
For folks who showed up early, Diane opened the night with a set of grungy alt-punk, and then Watermelon followed this with slacker pop tunes and six-string heroics. The floor was full by the time B-Lines arrived and got the crowd moshing with their frantic, rowdy punk tunes.
Apollo Ghosts drummer Amanda Panda was heralded with cheers when she arrived on stage solo and took her place behind the kit. The rest of the band followed one at a time and gradually eased into "Day of Glory," which exploded by the time frontman Adrian Teacher ran out wearing a cape and sunglasses while wielding a massive white flag. In the crowd, a dude wearing a ghost costume crowd surfed and the four-piece tore through a selection of cuts from last year's Landmark. At one point, a contest winner named Ryan came up on stage to claim his prize — singing a song with the Ghosts — and he was fantastically animated when hollering his way through "Why Can't I Be the Man On-Stage?"
The first half of the performance was dominated by recent material, but the group revisited some fan-pleasing early tunes when Jarrett K. stepped aside and guitarist Jason Oliver switched over to bass to recreate their original three-piece setup. Songs like "Palm of My Hand" and "Things You Go Through" inspired a frenzy of moshing, and Teacher crowd-surfed during the extended into of "Coka-Cola Admen."
Following the main part of the set, the full-four piece was repeatedly called back with chants of "One more song!" They obliged with humble thank-yous, and Teacher invited dozens of fans on stage to dance during "Angel Acres." Soon after, he paused briefly to kiss Amanda Panda when he sweetly dedicated "Land of the Morning Calm" to her. To close out the night, the band stood at the front of the stage for stripped-down sing-along versions of "Shadow Boxing Bruce Lee" and "Dobermans." With onlookers cheering wildly, the band paused for a group hug before walking off for the final time.
For folks who showed up early, Diane opened the night with a set of grungy alt-punk, and then Watermelon followed this with slacker pop tunes and six-string heroics. The floor was full by the time B-Lines arrived and got the crowd moshing with their frantic, rowdy punk tunes.
Apollo Ghosts drummer Amanda Panda was heralded with cheers when she arrived on stage solo and took her place behind the kit. The rest of the band followed one at a time and gradually eased into "Day of Glory," which exploded by the time frontman Adrian Teacher ran out wearing a cape and sunglasses while wielding a massive white flag. In the crowd, a dude wearing a ghost costume crowd surfed and the four-piece tore through a selection of cuts from last year's Landmark. At one point, a contest winner named Ryan came up on stage to claim his prize — singing a song with the Ghosts — and he was fantastically animated when hollering his way through "Why Can't I Be the Man On-Stage?"
The first half of the performance was dominated by recent material, but the group revisited some fan-pleasing early tunes when Jarrett K. stepped aside and guitarist Jason Oliver switched over to bass to recreate their original three-piece setup. Songs like "Palm of My Hand" and "Things You Go Through" inspired a frenzy of moshing, and Teacher crowd-surfed during the extended into of "Coka-Cola Admen."
Following the main part of the set, the full-four piece was repeatedly called back with chants of "One more song!" They obliged with humble thank-yous, and Teacher invited dozens of fans on stage to dance during "Angel Acres." Soon after, he paused briefly to kiss Amanda Panda when he sweetly dedicated "Land of the Morning Calm" to her. To close out the night, the band stood at the front of the stage for stripped-down sing-along versions of "Shadow Boxing Bruce Lee" and "Dobermans." With onlookers cheering wildly, the band paused for a group hug before walking off for the final time.
