INTO IT. OVER IT. AT MONO, 20.11.16

In the murky darkness of Mono’s small stage, Into It. Over It. are a beacon of light. 

Their journey north of the border is a significant one - with the recent results of the US Presidential Election and no doubt the toil of the road, frontman Evan Weiss looks a little tired around the eyes. But hunkered below the painted skylight he is among like minds. 

Scotland, Weiss suggests, is a country which relates to strife. We have after all faced similar political conflict in 2016 with the Brexit fiasco as well as throughout pretty much our entire history - to the pleasure of all in attendance, Weiss even claims that were he to leave his home in the States, Glasgow would be a likely destination.

The sentiment persists throughout. Who You Are Does Not Equal Where You Are is glibly dedicated to ‘the worst motherfucker Donald Trump’ and some lyrics cheekily switched around after a genuine and almost emotional call not to allow yourself to be dictated by wherever geography happens to drop you.

The lyricism is transfixing, and the band itself on blistering form. 

Your Lasting Image strikes me in particular with its reverb soaked guitar riff accompanied by the gentle patter of rain outside. 'I dug my nails in the sand / And begged the canyon to begin to speak’ Weiss thrums into the mic, so softly you’d be forgiven for having missed it. 

In all, the setlist consists of exactly half of their 2009 KOJI split followed by the entirety of most recent album Standards, front-to-back. There’s a fair share of melancholy but it’s blatantly self-aware: the silence following Anesthetic’s final notes ringing out is broken by the acknowledgement that ending the record on a song about dying alone probably isn’t the greatest idea considering the 'type of people that listen to their music’. 

We’re treated to a few extra encore tracks at the end too, curated by Weiss from requests shouted towards the stage. In keeping with the theme these include 'a song about losing your mind’ in the form of Obsessive Compulsive Distraction, and another couple from fan favourite PROPER.

For the sake of journalistic integrity I’ll mention that one of these tracks (Discretion and Depressing People if you must know) is of my own request. I’ll then immediately follow that disclaimer by gushing that it and the following title track are the perfect energy infused way to get people moving and prepare them for the bitter journey home. 

Otherwise the audience spend their night quiet, still and focused completely. And the current state of affairs aside, it’s a beautiful thing.

SETLIST

Wicker Park                     Old Lace & Ivory
Humboldt                         Adult Contempt
Ravenswood                    Required Reading
Pilsen                               Bible Black
Logan Square                  Who You Are Does Not Equal Where You Are           
Open Casket                    Anesthetic
Closing Argument            The Circle of the Same Ideas
No EQ                              Obsessive Compulsive Distraction
Vis Major                          Discretion & Depressing People
Your Lasting Image          Proper