It's been five days since K.Flay released her 5th studio album, MONO, and we've already listened to it hundreds of times. If what you need is more K.Flay, especially after her ultra-endearing episode of Unlocked, we've got it. In our newest episode of Marquee Memories, the singer talks about an unplanned Liz Phair encore, seeing Mutemath for the first time, and the gravitas and guts of Muse. Watch:
Liz Phair
"This show was the year 2008. It was at The Fillmore in San Francisco. I was like in my early twenties, angsty, trying to kind of find my place and figure it out, also, feeling like the world was totally overwhelming. She played the record, first track to the last track, and got off stage. And it was a sold out show, it was packed. The crowd starts like cheering. You know, "We want more!" She came back out and was like, "Honestly, I don't have anything prepared. Like, I literally thought no one was gonna come to these shows. I was really nervous and I have nothing to play." You know, we're kind of living in this moment of like the heavily choreographed like encore, right? Like, the band leaves, but you know they're still gonna play the big hit. This felt very primal, I guess, in a way. And people were shouting stuff at her like not in a mean way, in an encouraging way. They were like, "Play 'Polyester Bride!'" And she gets the guitar and she's like trying to play it. People were like, "C Minor!" You know, like the crowd was like giving her this support. And the encore happened in this very kind of like ad hoc, delightful manner. It impressed upon me that these moments of mistakes, those become often the moments for the audience and for fans that like you truly never forget."
Mutemath
"I went to a Mutemath show I think 2011. It was also at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Apparently, that's where I go to all shows. It was the first show I ever went to where I didn't know the band who was playing."
"Just going in with no expectation, which I think is a very beautiful way to see a show, and it's like arguably one of the greatest ways to become a convert. You know, it's the power of being the opener, is that people are like, "I don't know who this is." And then, you play a great show and they're like, 'I ride with you for life.'"
"The show begins, I think the way I would describe it is just like such a display of musicianship. So everyone in the band is like a master of instruments. Their drummer, Darren, had MIDI mapped drum tones onto this like wall thing, and so he was like playing with these giant mallets. And, you know, it was just like a wonder to behold. I think there are times when you're just in a state of pleasure when you watch a band. It's just a true pleasure."
Muse
"Muse! 2023, but a month or two ago at Crypto.com. Why do they put .com? You know what I mean? You feel horrendous saying it, it doesn't feel good. I went and saw them, you know, they're touring their new record. They're at this place as a band which I think is a really interesting place. They've put out a lot of records. They've had a lot of hits. The question for me, as a fan, and of course as an artist myself, how do you make a set list? Like, what are you gonna play? They did such a good job with the set list. They opened up with a new song, and then second song they played "Hysteria," which is like one of their old classics. And, to me, like what that communicates to an audience when you're a performer, is like, "Don't worry, we got you." As someone who tours frequently and my next record coming out is my fifth studio record, I think about how you are communicating your intention to a crowd. The realization I had at the show, I went with my girlfriend, she's a big Rush fan. You know what that says? She's pretty nerdy. I'm also pretty nerdy. She turned to me, she's like, "Dude, this is like a Rush show, everybody's dorky." And like, I kind of looked around and I was like, "That's right." It was just the first time that I realized that it made sense that I like Muse. Anyway, it was a really fun show. Their set was amazing. They kept doing a misdirect where they would have like video play on the big screens. You're watching this thing trying to figure out the plot line, and while that's happening they're kind of dismantling elements of the set and recreating a new part. So like the show sort of had four different looks. It was so amazing. Matt Bellamy, at one point, played like a keyboard on his forearm, you know what I mean? They were just doing some dorky shit. But I think like because the lyrical content is so bombastic there's just like a gravitas to the show."
"It just sort of feels inherently important and intense, because it's like, you know, "They will not destroy us." Like, you know, "We will be victorious." It's just like, it also takes a lot of guts to sing that. You have to be pretty brave to say that in my opinion. It's kind of like Queen, you know? Like, "We are the Champions." Like, who even has the guts to say it?"
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K.Flay is on tour overseas (Poland today!) and tickets for her 2024 headlining tour - MONO: Live in Stereo - which will see her play two intimate nights in 7 US cities - begin presales today. Get a full list of dates and details on her official site.
