WHY? @ CCA, Glasgow, 8 Jun

The CCA is vibrant on this Thursday night, as gig-goers enjoy a pint before the show begins. Yoni Wolf, and his bandmates in WHY?, can be seen in the corner of the bar, enjoying a spread from the establishment’s brilliant menu. They chat politely with fans before heading upstairs to prepare for the show.

Support is provided by Tall Tall Trees and his remarkably unorthodox treatment of the banjo (or the Banjotron 5000, as he calls it). During a 50-minute set, he layers drumming, bowing, strumming and picking on his homemade instrument, to craft psychedelic symphonies that underpin his song writing. The eccentric solo artist leaves the stage following a powerful and impressive performance that caught the attention of the audience.

WHY? follow, opening their set with a trifecta of Easy, This Ole King and Proactive Evolution from 2017 release Moh Lhean. These songs, like the album as a whole, exhibit the emo/indie stylings the band has to offer, while the nuanced instrumentation creates a common thread back to their alt-hip-hop past. The band has a commanding presence on stage, as they each show imperious multi-instrumental capabilities throughout a tour of their well loved back catalogue. A reworked version of the fan favourite Gemini (Birthday Song), from 2005's Elephant Eyelash, is a welcome addition.

While fitting in over half of Moh Lhean, and a selection of other work, WHY? still find time for arguably their best-known work from 2008's Alopecia, including a medley of Song of the Sad Assassin, Gnashville and The Vowels Pt. 2. 

They return to Moh Lhean and close with The Barely Blur; a contemplative song that encapsulates the overarching theme of their latest record. The band is quickly cheered back onto the stage, where they congregate around a single microphone, to perform stripped back renditions of The Hoofs, January Twenty Something and Simeon’s Dilemma. Tall Tall Trees later joins, as the audience sings them off to end a fantastic and comprehensive presentation of a rich back catalogue. 

With a dedicated live performance that cuts no corners in reproducing the nuance in their sound, alongside a fan-pleasing setlist, WHY? are one of the best live bands out there.