Shoegaze revival’s rising stars packed Cobra Lounge from the windows to the wall on June 7. Softcult and She’s Green delivered swirling melodies and growling guitars in an atmospheric evening that felt straight out of the ‘90s.
She’s Green
She’s Green kicked off the night with a dreamy set punctuated by fuzzy guitar pedals. The Minneapolis quartet of vocalist Zofia Smith, bassist Teddy Nordvold, guitarists Liam Armstrong and Raines Lucas, and drummer Kevin Seebeck bonded over their love of ‘90s alternative and began playing together in 2022.
Dressed in a white babydoll dress à la Courtney Love but with a reserved Hope Sandoval delivery, Smith delivered delicate vocals while swaying and striking a tambourine on “Graze.” She’s Green followed it with other crowd favorites like “smile again” and “bleed” before closing out with “Mandy.”
Softcult
Softcult blew the lid off Cobra Lounge for the headlining set. Twin siblings Mercedes Arn-Horn on guitar and vocals and Phoenix Arn-Horn on drums and vocals took the stage wearing all black for their grungy shoegaze powerhouse of a show. The Toronto natives who formed in 2020 were accompanied by a touring guitarist.
Soft cult is as influenced by Bikini Kill as they are My Bloody Valentine, as evidenced by tattoos that read “riot” and “grrrl” on Mercedes’ kneecaps. For every dream-pop delivery, Mercedes has a head-banging wail to match while Phoenix throttles the drums generating more power than seems possible from their slight frame.
Softcult wails against sexism, capitalism, and corruption wrapped in distorted guitars and pop sensibility. They blurred the raw and ethereal in their performance of songs like “Drain” and “Pill to Swallow.” Phoenix jumped up on her drum stool while Mercedes ended the set with a thrashing rendition of “Spit It Out.” The duo smiled in disbelief at the roaring crowd’s response, and we all woke up from the dream.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger,’ and she has contributed to several travel guidebooks. Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
