War on Women Took Control of The Anthem Last Thursday

I was at The Anthem last Thursday night to see Jawbreaker. At the time, I hadn’t really given too much thought about who was opening. I always get to venues early for shows but I had no idea what to expect with this opening performance.

From the minute War on Women took the stage, I was captivated. Lead singer, Shawna Potter took control and easily gained the full attention of the audience. Immediately, the band kicked right into their one and a half minute, fast paced “Pro-Life?” from the 2015 self-titled debut full length album. Then they performed “Divisive Shit” and “Childbirth” from their latest release, Capture the Flag, as well as “Confess” from 2012 EP, Improvised Weapons.

It was then that Shawna took a break and chatted with the audience. She introduced the band and said that they were from Baltimore. Then, she mentioned her “Making Spaces Safer” pamphlet that she wrote as a guide for any music, art, or community space looking to make the world a better place. The pamphlet is “a detailed and radical call for our communities (not just the survivors) to take power back from harassers and abusers.” You can learn more about her pamphlet, here. Shawna also gave a shout out to Josh Sisk and Farrah Skeity – both fantastic photographers – and she invited them back into the photo-pit to photograph beyond the first three songs, which was pretty cool!

Shawna involved the audience as much as she could despite the large room of The Anthem. It is obvious that this band is used to performing in smaller clubs where the audience is up close and part of the performance. However, she managed to cover the large stage easily – engaging the crowd in every song. Flipping her long hair, challenging the crowd with arms outstretched and pointing fingers, and making fierce eye-contact, Shawna made her statement clear on the stage. Then, for the second part of the set, the band performed five more songs from their latest release, Capture the Flag and three songs from their self-titled release.

Their energy on stage made me wish I had seen them at The Ottobar in Baltimore. They were loud. They were forceful and for about 40 minutes, they took complete control of The Anthem. I can add yet another amazing band from the growing list of outstanding artists who call Baltimore their home. In addition, they provided proof, yet again, that you should never miss the opener! Definitely check this band out by clicking here!