Reno’s Rising Stars: Pussy Velour
Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.
Nothing excites me more as a music aficionado than discovering a new band in Reno, but when we stumbled upon Pussy Velour at The Bluebird last month, we knew we truly found something special. This is going to be one to keep an eye on, folks.
Back in early November, my partner and a few of his friends were looking for adventure downtown. We started the evening at a different bar nearby, but a famous DJ was there and the cover was a whopping $30. As we all are feeling the budget crunch, we decided it would be better to check out what The Bluebird was doing. Even as a baby Burner myself, the bar is known for its wild EDM parties and spacious dance floor, but there’s always some sort of event happening there every weekend. My intuition proved to be useful.
There were about 20 to 30 people in attendance that night. I don’t know about any of you, but I absolutely adore smaller shows. There’s plenty of room to dance and the ambience is more intimate, enabling the musicians to connect with the audience easier. While The Bluebird is usually packed wall-to-wall during Burning Man season, it was a pleasant change of atmosphere from what I was used to.
Lead vocalist Wolfgang Hendrix took advantage of the negative space by jumping off the stage, running around the audience, crowd surfing and more. His charisma and unabashed boldness made for frankly, a kickass concert. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers here, but it was worth every single second and speaking from experience, it was the most fun my friends and I had in a while.
We immediately approached the band afterward for an interview and lo and behold – that was only their second live performance they’ve ever done. I was smitten.
Fast forward to December and we were back at The Bluebird again for Pussy Velour opening for another show. This time you could tell Hendrix was holding back a little, but it was still the best part of the night. We didn’t stay long for the other bands because theirs was the highlight of the event – no other group was more engaging, more energetic and downright entertaining than Pussy Velour. From a cover of ‘Surfin’ Bird,’ to stripping down to a tiger-striped speedo, if you’re looking for an intriguing, electric, fun time, you’ll want to book your next event with these guys.
“It’s like shitting your pants but in the best way,” bassist Bobby Enzenberger said. “Music is such a feeling… I’m playing from my insides.”
There’s art and then there’s ‘bad’ art – and truly bad art is my favorite. The most memorable works I’ve witnessed have been exactly that and from orchestrated nosebleeds to blessing audience members with a smack of a microphone, Pussy Velour fully embraces the chaotic personality that punk encourages, pushing the envelope and forcing you to get uncomfortable in the best way. It’s a cacophony of sound, performance and non-conformity that compels you to move. If you can stand still listening to this band, you’re doing it wrong.
“Everyone’s a little too reserved,” Hendrix said. “[Rock is] freedom, absolute freedom to do whatever I want.”
Pussy Velour is a group that reminds me of why I do what I do. Small, local shows are my heart and soul, and the more I see them play the more I fall in love with their overall identity as a band. They’re raw, they’re fearless and they embody the true character of punk that I’ve always searched for – they just, don’t give a fuck.
“I feel like rock and roll specifically gives you the freedom to take whatever shit you’ve gone through in your life and make it something beautiful that people relate to,” guitarist Clair Monteith said. “[It’s] freedom of expression in terms of people who are maybe minorities or less enfranchised than others.”
In the coming months I’ll be keeping a close watch on these guys, eagerly anticipating their next concert dates.
“It doesn’t matter if there was zero people in this crowd, I come here to play loud music with my friends on stage and it’s a bonus that people also enjoy hanging out with us,” drummer Quentin Debrabander said. “I’m so fortunate that people want to participate in us playing, it is kind of selfish that I just care about playing with these guys, but it’s really special when other people want to come in and hang out with us too.”
To follow them on Instagram, visit their page here.
