Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo has certainly expanded his live show over the years from a three-piece playing smaller venues to selling out the 9:30 Club and now at Baltimore’s Rams Head Live. Toledo’s band now includes
Ethan Ives on guitar (and lead vocals on a couple of songs), Andrew Katz on drums, and Seth Dalby on bass, but he’s increased his sound by bringing in the band Naked Giants (also the opening act on this tour) with members Henry LaVallee on more drums and percussion, Gianni Aiello on keyboards, and Grant Mullen on guitar.

Speaking of Naked Giants, I’ve had the immense pleasure of seeing them grow from opening at the Metro Gallery, just up the way, to now playing a much larger stage, and as the show began on this rainy evening in Baltimore these three blew away packed Rams Head with fantastic garage pop tunes and stage antics.

After a brief break, the members of Car Seat Headrest took the stage to enormous applause. As the opening lines were played, I could tell this was one I didn’t notice. Arpeggiated synth lines gave way to a frantic beat as Toledo danced along, ending with the refrain “Cool water on my brow / Can’t cool me down, can’t cool me down” – an exciting promise of new material coming soon!

This certainly will be, when it all comes down to it, be one of my favorite performances of 2019. The place was completely packed on all levels of the venue. The stage lighting was a feast for the eyes. And Will Toledo put on a show reaching across the barrier at times and drawing the audience in.

Most of the set list included songs from Twin Fantasy which was re-released last year, but there was another new song which according to setlist.fm could be entitled, “Weightlifters,” and “Sober to Death” from Twin Fantasy which melded into a cover of the Neil Young and Crazy Horse tune “Powderfinger.”

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Enjoy some photos from Car Seat Headrest performing at Rams Head Live on February 17, 2019. All photos copyright and courtesy of David LaMason.