The air was clear and the traffic on Gallatin Pike was mild, as it was just another early Sunday evening in Nashville. But on this particular night, there was some vicious rock n’ roll to be heard.
Performing at The Underdog celebrating the release of her new album, Lone Wolf, was Hannah Fairlight, along with openers Brandy Zdan and Nikki Barber.
I arrived towards the end of Barber’s set, as she had the crowd hanging on her every word with her final solo acoustic-driven songs. After uproarious applause, folks dispersed in various directions re-upping on their libations, perusing the merch, greeting the performer, stepping outside for a smoke, and the usual order of business between sets.
There were a few familiar cats among the crowd, including Afton Wolfe (fitting for such an event) who I got to chit-chatting with outdoors before hearing the preparatory sounds of instruments ready to unleash in a full blaze at any moment. Before long, it was time for rock n’ roll to commence.
Dressed in a leather Michelle Pfeiffer catwoman-esque jumpsuit with untamed hair to match the energy, Fairlight and her four-piece band were ready to rip. The retro 80s rock n’ roll vibe was strong among the band, and before long, they roared into the opening song, “Sum Ppl R Jerx.” A common thread in her songs seemed to be the mistreatment and abuse by or from others, including the songs about her shitty ex in “Loser” and “If Only You Could See Me Now.” She spoke about the songs feeling deeply “cathartic” and that it felt like she was “exorcizing the demons.”
After a few songs, Fairlight kicked off her heels and entered full could-give-a-fuck punk rock mode. The raw and uninhibited energy shone through as she maintained a bold stage presence throughout, keeping the eager audience engaged and thirsty for more.
A little technical snafu happened when she went from electric guitar to acoustic, but shit happens. “Hit it with a hammer,” a rogue male voice yelled from the crowd. Before too long, ducks were in a row and the unfiltered energy would soon pick up where it left off.
Fairlight talked about the making of her all analog album and the creative process behind it, likening it to being constipated. “If you don’t let your creative ideas out, you just get backed up. And you just gotta take a really good poo every now and then,” she said, eliciting a hearty chuckle from the crowd.
She switched gears and delivered a more serious message playing off the same idea stating, “It makes it real. Our ideas are valid, and when you keep them up here and don’t share them, then you’re not helping shape the culture. Your ideas are important.” This would draw large cheers.
Other notable performances included the Sonic Youth-sounding song, “Emotional Men,” which was her lead single for the album that dropped in February, along with her follow up single, “Apologetic Me,” which has a killer riff and is extremely catchy.
She wrapped up the show with her fiery final single, “Fever,” (which is accompanied by a very rock n’ roll music video), in which she brought on stage with her Caitlin Evanson and Amy Darling to liven up the finale. Fairlight played through the entire album, albeit in a different order. She displayed her versatility too, as she ripped on electric guitar with the band, hopped on keys for a few tracks, and played a few solo tunes on acoustic guitar.
Lone Wolf was produced by Paul DeFiglia at his studio, Daylight Studios, to which he also played bass for the release show, along with Jeremy Asbrock (lead guitar) and Ricky Ficarelli (drums). As expected, Fairlight and her band pulled no punches this past Sunday night, instilling a sense of unwavering grit, self-assurance, and general badassery to The Underdog crowd. The only thing left to do now is play the record and play it loud.
All photos by Adrienne Pacheco
