“This is incredible!” I yelled to my best friend dancing right next to me.
Smiling and confused, it was apparent she had no idea what I said.
The first few chords to one of my favorite songs began to play. I jumped out of pure happiness and gave her the most awkward side hug, almost knocking her down.
I was left with my thoughts: At this moment, I am exactly where I am meant to be.
Alternative rock music artist Lutalo’s performance at Rubber Gloves on Feb. 1 left me ecstatic. Full of head-bopping rhythms and heart gripping improv, I could still feel the bass vibrating through my bones hours after the concert.
The venue, residing in the heart of Denton, is small but full of character. The doors opened at 7 p.m., and the concert was supposed to start around 8 p.m. Walking into the venue, there’s a small bar toward the back and a seating area to the left with old VHS tapes playing in the background.
To the right is where the stage and pit are, and further out is an exit leading to an outdoor stage and area. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the bathrooms were surprisingly clean for a venue that regularly hosts punk shows. Lastly, a small detail I appreciated was the water faucet and cups they had for general easy access.
The venue, however, was right next to a train station, and multiple times throughout the show I heard it clash with the music. While I’ve been to concerts with more fluid and expressive lighting, for a small venu like Rubber Gloves, I was content. There were moments I felt as though the lights hadn’t caught up with the change in atmosphere; however, one of the coolest lighting effects I’ve ever seen is the shadow of Lutalo cast on a vacant spot on a wall.
One of the first things I noticed was how empty the pit was. At 7:40 p.m., it was nothing but a concrete floor which separated the stage from the few rows of chairs in the back. The show was then abruptly pushed to 8:30 p.m. — something that didn’t bother me — but it wasn’t until 8:20 p.m. when people started to arrive; then, the room started to fill up quickly.
My friend and I chose a place to stand a few feet away from the stage and were given lots of space to move freely. The opener was the alternative band CURL. I was unaware there would be an opener since it wasn’t listed anywhere, but I was nothing but pleased seconds into their first song. CURL is a local band based in Dallas that has released four singles — the first dating back to 2023. Their performance was a little under 40 minutes long, and was reminiscent of artists like King Krule and Cosmo Pyke. In between songs with switching rhythms and insane guitar riffs was amplifier noise and coarse — but tasteful — yelling.
A few times throughout the show, they faced technical difficulties with the lead singer’s guitar and pedal board, but they dealt with it well and kept the show going. Lastly, their lead guitarist was expressive and performative. He enthusiastically swung his guitar around with every break.
During intermission, my friend and I were given the luxury to grab a drink, swing by CURL’s merch table and return to the exact spot we were in prior to leaving. Lutalo and his band came on about 20 minutes after CURL, and did not disappoint. Starting the concert with blaring noise, similar to CURL, they faded into the start of his most recent album “The Academy.” The band consisted of bassist Emma Stacher, guitarist Wyatt Kirschner and drummer Joey Mains — all of whom were incredibly talented. Lutalo had great audience interaction and was able to joke when the train blew by as they were tuning their instruments.
I was fully absorbed by his performance. Throughout the show, I would turn to my friend and see her dancing and smiling wide. There were moments of softness in songs such as “For Now” and songs of immense power from the newest album, “The Academy.” It went by too fast, and I am looking forward to seeing him perform again one day.
When the concert finished, my friend and I had the opportunity to meet and take a photo with Lutalo. He signed the record we bought and we complimented his performance. He was incredibly nice and took his time greeting each person.
Overall, Lutalo’s performance at Rubber Gloves couldn’t have made me happier. I am incredibly lucky, and can now see his work in an more fond way than before.
