Naima Bock & mildred – 2024 USA Tour
The Rabbit Box – Seattle, WA
September 15, 2024
This past week, on Sunday, September 15th, Liv and I made the trek from Vancouver, BC to Seattle, Washington for a show that we’ve been counting down to for months. The venue, The Rabbit Box, nestled away in the underground of Seattle’s infamous Pike Place Market, welcomed South London (by way of Brazil) musician, Naima Bock, with support from Oakland-based band, mildred. The show preceded the release of Bock’s forthcoming sophomore LP, Below a Massive Dark Land, out in the world this Friday, September 27th (Sub Pop & Memorials of Distinction). We had the pleasure of meeting with Naima before soundcheck for an interview, giving us time to soak in the space before the crowd arrived. The Rabbit Box immediately struck us with its inviting and warm atmosphere—a cozy and intimate retreat, starkly contrasting the lively chaos above. It was the perfect, charming setting for the evening’s music to unfold.
mildred opened the show with material from their newly released, and excellent, debut twin-EPs, mild and red (read my review here). Starting their set with the first track of each EP, “sauvie’s nude beach” and “twinkle lights” quickly grabbed the ear’s of the crowd, an introduction to many of the endearing sound that is woven into their music. A quick pause in the set took place for vocalist/bassist/woodwind-player, Matt Palmquist to fetch a poem he purchased back in The Bay from a senior fellow, in which he saw fit to share with the crowd. If the music hadn’t already, the laughs this lead to only further loosened up the audience. Additional highlights from mildred’s set include standout tracks, “carry on,” “grown boy,” and “green car,” as well as a shoutout to Soundwave Society from vocalist/guitarist, Henry Easton Koehler. It was a pleasure getting to chat with fellow audience members following the set about what we do!
Shortly after, Naima Bock took the stage for a sweepingly diverse set that featured solo play, also pairing up with frequent collaborator, Jack Ogborne for a few tracks, and closing the set with mildred joining them on stage as well. The setlist too was wide-ranging, including a cover of Luiz Gonzaga’s “Assum Preto,” some songs from her incredible debut, Giant Palm, two unreleased tracks, and of course multiple tracks from her stunning forthcoming record, Below a Massive Dark Land. Throughout the set, Naima summoned a delicate control only she could command, with each word and note delivered in a sincerity that left a profound stillness in the air, lingering just long enough for the atmosphere to feel intimate, yet expansive. Despite the emotional essence of her music, Bock moved through the setlist with relaxed, comfortable ease, allowing the experience to wash over the audience feeling entirely natural and genuine.
The time was still not right
Gentle, Below a Massive Dark Land (2024)
I couldn’t see clear
I’d rather show him light
Than this world that’s seen through my eyes
It feels greedy to already be anticipating even newer music with Bock’s forthcoming album’s pending release scheduled for Friday. However, the stunning new tracks that won’t be featured on LP2—“Showers” and “Rocks”—that were played solo certainly warrant such a feeling. Two victory laps from her enchanting 2022 LP, Giant Palm were also taken, as the title track, “Giant Palm,” and “Campervan” were performed as a duo with Jack Ogborne. The final four tracks were delivered in a group setting as Jack Schrott, Henry Easton Koehler, Matthew Palmquist, and Will Fortna of mildred joined Bock and Ogborne on stage to close the set. Through conversing with Naima prior to the show, she mentioned that it was Fortna, mildred’s drummer, who actually encouraged her to play her first solo show not many years ago, adding a special “full-circle” element to the set as well. The final stretch was made up of all new material from the upcoming record, including personal favourites, “Gentle,“ “Feed My Release,” and “Takes One.” A standout in 2024, “Gentle” still found its prolific highs, only now featuring different unique nuances in this live atmosphere behind Palmquist’s woodwind-play, divine group vocals, and additional assorted textures in its emphatic finish. Meanwhile, “Takes One” stunned in the live setting, just as it does in the studio version. The song’s refrain, “someday you’ll find another one, someday you’ll find… / someday you’ll find another love, some day you’ll find…” has remained rooted in my head since Sunday, as the track’s emotional impact can’t be understated, intensely heightened in The Rabbit Box’s environment.
Our six-hour round trip and the admission were small prices to pay for the performances, as when your favourite artists are in town, or close enough, it’s always worth it to make the trip. We’ve always had great experiences catching shows in Seattle—Kamasi Washington, Yellow Days, Adrianne Lenker, all also coming in 2024, though this bill will be especially memorable. Bock and mildred’s charming performances were only underscored by the intimate and cozy setting The Rabbit Box provides, allowing the music to create a close connection with everyone who had the opportunity to take in the show. Until next time, we’ll be reminiscing about this set, eagerly awaiting their next performance calling us back.
Favourite Songs (* denotes favourite):
mildred–
carry on*
green car
grown boy
sauvie’s nude beach
twinkle lights
Naima Bock–
Assum Preto (Luiz Gonzaga cover)
Feed My Release
Gentle*
Giant Palm
Lines
Rocks
Takes One
Listen to mild + red:
Apple Music | Spotify | Bandcamp
Follow mildred:
Presave/Preorder Below a Massive Dark Land:
Apple Music | Spotify | Bandcamp
Follow Naima Bock:
Images by Liv Murray
Read More from Kyle:
Soundwave Society Music Club 
Leave a comment