Live Review: Mom Jeans - Electric Ballroom, London 25/02/2023
California based alternative, indie rock band, Mom Jeans, concluded their highly anticipated UK tour on Saturday night at London's Electric Ballroom in Camden. Quite symbolically, the performance took place on the one-year anniversary of the band's latest LP, Sweet Tooth.
Mom Jeans frontman, Eric Butler, commanded the stage from start to finish, flossing the performance with interactions with both his fellow bandmates and the crowd itself. Beginning the set with Scott Pilgrim vs. My GPA, a staple of the group's first full-length album, Best Buds, the audience was immediately energised, singing along to each word. This was subsequently followed by the opening track of Sweet Tooth, Something Sweet, a record reminiscent of alternative rock classics such as Green Day and Fall Out Boy.
The set was segmented between songs and Butler paying thanks to those who had assisted Mom Jeans on their long-awaited global tour. The band also visited Cardiff, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle. This is a testament to the Berkeley natives’ popularity amongst their UK audience. This was certainly illustrated by the prolific appearances of mosh pits throughout the band's performance, most contagiously during Hippo in the Water.
The setlist showcased not only the band's musical ability, notably Butler's original and substantiated vocals, but the dynamism and versatility of their discography. Mom Jeans walks the fine line between paying homage to indie rock staples of yesteryear, whilst simultaneously paving their unique approach to the indie genre. This culminated with Mom Jeans final song of the night, being encore track Vape Nation, a nostalgia-inducing, acoustic tune, encouraging audience participation.
Mom Jeans' performance in London's historic Electric Ballroom testifies to the band's dedicated fanbase, alluding to their inevitable ascent to further stardom as their tour, and the year, progresses.
Words by Laura Maxwell
Photography by Martina Liberini
