Lost Society - Bossanova Ballroom, Portland OR - November 6, 2017



Lost Society: [Finland] This adorable band. Three miniature men (the hipster male body complex) – a hot bundle of pop metal energy, super tight, super fun. The leader singer announced that it was their first US tour, not a trace of an accent though. A crowd-mover throughout. Right off, reminded me of my beloved Redd Kross’ “Jimmy’s Fantasy.” And whatthewhat, one had an NWA shirt, despite being Finnish! The main vocalist had an Adidas shirt on, which only cemented them as pop metal. Their poses and hair swinging were so well-coordinated, they could’ve taken down any boy band. Their hair, THEIR HAIR, it had to be permed – so it’s overkill to call them hair metal. There were some Black Sabbath undertones ((every band should have Black Sabbath undertones)). Their fingers were literally flying – wavering like alien beings above the strings. Recorded, they’re way more screamo than I remember. Nonetheless, they had groove – essential for hard metal. There was something to them that reminded me of The Darkness. So two guys in-the-whole-crowd moshed to the first band, and they were adorable. The one had been standing awkwardly when his buddy bum-rushed him in a way that made it clear they love each other but have to express it violently. So they spent the first set bumping into each other. This band was so inspiring, other aspiring-moshers started vying for someone to make the decision for them, practically begging for a shove with their leans and earnest faces. It all finally happened – it got a little rowdy but overall remained, consisten with Portland mores, very decent and well-behaved. Most importantly, the thing with Finland is, it borders Norway… both countries are tops in like everything: healthcare, progressiveness, education outcomes, citizen happiness … BUT they have this black metal problem, where their metalheads are so devout they burn churches down. This is a national problem I can get behind. Don’t quote me.

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