On a dreary Thursday night, Squirrel Flower swung into Atlanta’s Masquerade for her first headlining dates behind her 2021 release Planet (i). A critical darling with I Was Born Swimming in the early days of the pandemic, Planet (i) served as a massive step forward for the Boston songwriter that found success alongside her now-viral cover of Caroline Polachek’s “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings”.
After a subtle opening set from Audrey Kang, the lead singer of New York band Lightning Bug, Squirrel Flower took the stage to a solo, looped vocal performance of “I’ll Go Now” that saw Ella Williams slowly bring the rest of the band onstage to launch into Planet (i) highlight “I’ll Go Running”. The show found a brilliant balance of dynamic tension between crushing guitars and Williams’ pristine vocals soaring above the fray. One of the more entertaining moments of the set occurred when Williams discussed how they found a gecko upon arrival to the venue, only for the gecko to make an onstage appearance in a proto-terrarium built out of a plastic cup to the cheers of the audience. Williams and her band were kind and inviting on their first ATL headline date, and the arrangements of songs like “Flames and Flat Tires” and “Deluge in the South” created a heartbreaking ambiance for the crowd that devoured every word. Check out our photos of the night below:
