Mew rock The Fillmore in their return to SF

Mew //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
September 26th, 2015 //

Mew drew in a great following at The Fillmore last Saturday for an impeccable performance by one of the most relevant European acts to ever succeed in the U.S. The Danish alt-rockers played a solid set from beginning to end, proving how talented they are.

Lead singer Jonas Bjerre’s falsetto is beyond impressive. The guy manages to sound just like he does on records for the entire show, always revealing a slight discomfort by the screaming females who want to marry him yet still eternally grateful for their attendance and support throughout the years. He’s definitely not the “rockstar” type but rather just an exceptional musician. Guitarist Mads Wegner, meanwhile, brings the band’s theatricality to life with his powerful chords and guitar god-like poses.

But it’s bassist Johan Wohlert who is the real “rockstar” in Mew. The show started with him alongside drummer Silas Utke playing a progressive rhythm section, which ignited a flame that kept burning until the concert ended. And Wohlert, of course, never stopped dancing. He’s also the one who interacts the most with the audience, cheering, talking and overall just blasting badassery. Touring keyboardist Nick Watts is a key element to their live sound and a great backup singer.

With a wide repertoire under their belt — Mew released their sixth and latest studio album + – in April — the show kept a nice variety of new and old songs, but certainly the ones with the most resonance came from their classic 2003 album Frengers, which exposed them to global fame. The emotive moment of the night came when Mew broke into their classic tune “Am I Wry?” and had the entire venue singing along.