Song Spotlight: Stinkus' FOLLOW (a night at The Goldfish)

I'll be honest, when it was announced that this would be the first show ever for Stinkus, my expectations weren't set all that high during this particular set at Rocknite LA event at The Goldfish. I mean, it takes a few sets for a band to get into a groove on stage, right? I was wrong. Maybe there were a couple clues to be had. The first clue was that the venue filled up for their set. It being their first set, they had a surprisingly large following. The second clue was that King Mala showed up to support Benjamin Hon who was on guitar.

Stinkus at The Goldfish

A third clue did emerge while I was doing my research on the band for this write-up. Two of the band members are in the band WILD. I still remember seeing WILD for the first time at a music festival called Tarfest back in 2018. I was blown away by their pitch perfect vocals and cheerful sound. The two members from WILD and currently part of Stinkus are Tyler Thompson and Zach Degaetano. Why I didn't make that connection immediately at The Goldfish is beyond me -- okay, when I was catching WILD, Degaetano had bright pink hair, and 7 years had passed since I last saw WILD.

Stinkus at The Goldfish

The band's first song "FOLLOW" was orchestral rock. The band played it loud and melodic, but with just a touch of sadness. It was a wonder to believe. I honestly was thinking, "Did I hear wrong? This can't be their first set ever. Maybe this was their first set ever in Los Angeles?" I later verified with Hon that this was indeed their first set ever. 

Stinkus at The Goldfish

And I try
To take my life seriously

The song "Rodeo Mary" reminded me of Local Natives with the switching and sharing of vocal duties. I should also say WILD, as well, less the female vocals. 

There were some "Hell, yeah" shout outs during the set, which were well deserved. 

The song "Dionne" slowed it down and included quick mention of Dionne Warwick. 

Stinkus at The Goldfish

The band performed as a five piece: a drummer, three guitarists and a bassist. The four strings were lined up at the front of the stage. It was a tight squeeze. At times, I thought there might be an accidental collision, but the four band members avoided such issues. 

Setlist: FOLLOW, Not Like Dying, Rodeo Mary, I Am, Holy Virgin, Fall / Restart, Dionne, Coming to an End.