Self Improvement threw a party for their second album release Syndrome and people showed up in mass to support the band. Zebulon, the location of this party, was packed from the front of the stage to the exits. The band members took about a minute on stage to gather themselves, a brief conversation occurred between guitarist Reuben Kaiban and lead vocalist Jett Witchalls. Witchalls did the traditional "Check! Check!" of the microphone. Then they launched into their self titled song "Self Improvement" with alternative college radio station flair. The first song they played off their new album was "Scam" that was like the band was marching towards Hades as screaming banshees.
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| Self Improvement at Zebulon |
The band had an "I could care less attitude" as their discordant chord structures sent the crowd into a mosh pit multiple times during songs like "Fear & Power." Guitars were scratched and vocals were screaming, but did they care that the crowd was into their set? The facade of emotionless stares was occasionally broken with a twinkle in the eyes.
This was my third time catching Self Improvement. I first caught the band in 2023 -- at Zebulon. At the time, a photographer or two had asked if I had seen Self Improvement yet. The band name sounded familiar, but I just hadn't caught a set. With the recommendations of other photographers, I did drop by the Zebulon specifically to catch their set. A year later, I caught a portion of their set while jumping around stages at Happy Sundays Long Beach (you can read my review of the festival here). Noticing that the band was playing their 2025 record release at Zebulon, I circled the date.
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| Self Improvement at Zebulon |
The band setlist flipped back and forth between songs from Syndrome and their debut album Visible Damage. With their post punk background, many of their songs clock in at the 2 minute mark, letting those in the mosh pit not to overdue the body slams. Yet the band did end the set with their longest song "Fetishes" that clocks in at a surprisingly lengthy (for them) 4 minutes 50 seconds on the recording. It is a song that verges on brink of being melodic, but then pulls away from the edge, because that would be so un-Self Improvement-like. The set ended with a "thank you" and feedback from the final grasping breaths of "Fetishes."
But hey, you knew the crowd wasn't going to just walk off into the streets of Frogtown. Cheers filled the room. Band conversations were had. "You're so demanding." An unplanned encore of "Firestarter" concluded the night.
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| Self Improvement at Zebulon |
"Change My Mind" is a song about deciding to stick to what makes you unique and ignoring that temptation to explore a new re-invention of yourself. The lyrics are spoken (not sung) with determination that the final choice is ultimately the correct one without any need to look back, because maybe the person tempting you is not all that sincere.
I get the sense that you're only here to be seen.And, of course, you've been to all the places that I've never been.
Change my mind.
I can't leave myself behind
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| Mosh pit at Zebulon |
Noticed: when holding the microphone with both hands, Witchalls lifted up her left pinky just a touch.
Setlist: Self Improvement, Scam, Ashes, Just Like Me, Visible Damage, I Grew Up Here, Obsession, Change My Mind, Fear & Power, Settle Down, Filling Time, Dissolved, Fetishes. Encore. Firestarter.
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