Read previous – Snail Mail @ Union Transfer (9/29/2018)
Whether it be due to concerns around Lindsey Jordan’s recovery from recent vocal surgery or a potential gallivanting-related COVID exposure, my anticipation for this show has aged me. But the odds were in Philly’s favor as Snail Mail successfully kicked off their North American tour with 2 consecutive nights at Union Transfer. Touring in support of their excellent sophomore LP Valentine (a follow-up to their 2018 debut LP Lush), the 3+ year hiatus was worth the wait. While Lush was an eye-opening introduction to the brilliant lyricism and guitar-driven stylings of Lindsey Jordan, Valentine sees her evolving artistically with standout tracks like “Ben Franklin” and “Forever (Sailing)“.
Before taking the stage, the lights went down and Madleen Kane’s disco-era ballad “You and I” (the song that inspired “Forever (Sailing)”) began to play. Snail Mail started the night with title track “Valentine” followed by “Ben Franklin”, which had Jordan ditching her guitar and breakin’ out some funky moves behind the mic. Addressing her recent vocal surgery, Jordan shared with the crowd that by age 14 she had the vocal cords of a 60 year old smoker and now post-surgery has the vocal range of a eunuch. She also confessed to needing a pre-show Mucinex, but let’s hope that’s just for seasonal allergies. While singing with greater restraint so as to preserve her vocal cords, that signature rasp and phrasing we all fell in love with on Lush and the Habit EP is still there as Jordan performed older songs like “Thinning” and “Full Control”.
For one of their first shows back in a while, the night wasn’t without its (mostly mic-related) mishaps. I’m fairly certain Jordan bonked her head on the mic once or twice, after which she joked they deserved an olde timey, Philadelphia-style tar and feathering. Towards the end of their set, they performed a cover of Smashing Pumpkin’s “Tonight, Tonight” to which the Gen Xers in the crowd collectively lost their shit. After finishing their set with “Forever (Sailing)”, Jordan unconvincingly and unceremoniously said good night to the crowd; however, her poker face gave away that they would come back for an encore. They began their encore with what is perhaps their saddest track ever, “Mia“. I expressly remember her debuting this song via IG livestream back in 2020, and it still hits the same. They finished out the night (for real, this time) with crowd favorite “Pristine”, after which I bought so much merch I think I have a problem.
Their North American spring tour will be ending in June, but they’ll be back state-side in late-summer. They’ll be playing their re-scheduled date at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park on August 17th and you bet your ass I’m down for a summer show at the shore. See all of their upcoming tour dates here. Check out the music video for “Ben Franklin” below (omg that puppy) and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
