Concert review: NewDad & Freak Slug | 05.11.26, Delmar Hall (with photo gallery)

Photo of NewDad’s Julie Dawson by Laura Jerele

Freak Slug and NewDad were quite an amazing dose of indie rock goodness in their recent stop at Delmar Hall. Starting things off with a band I already adore, Freak Slug and their dynamic frontwoman Xenya Genovese, who casually mentioned this was their first ever time in St. Louis after making the trip from Manchester, England, then asked if anybody even knew where the hell that was. Fair question, honestly. Xenya has this way about her, completely owning the stage without ever feeling like she’s trying too hard to do it. Vintage slip dress, lace gloves, guitar hanging off her shoulder, constantly giving these huge expressive looks through half the set without even needing to say much. She’s magnetic in this superunderstated way. Cool without trying to convince anybody she’s cool. She somehow manages to stay interesting every second she’s onstage. Around her, bandmates Nico Thompson,  Caitlyn Mounteer, and Alex Martin create all those hazy layered textures that made everything feel dreamy and slightly detached, while absolutely adding punch.

When they launched into “Disorder” by Joy Division (after mentioning they were Mancunians, of course), I immediately became unbearably happy. As somebody who loves Joy Division probably more than is healthy, I was fully ready to judge it hard, but Freak Slug somehow made it work by slowing it down and making it hazier and even moodier than the original already is. Which honestly feels impossible. It still had all that tension underneath it, but instead of sounding weak, it felt ghostly romantic. Such a smart way to approach it…ok, I approve! The rest of the set included “Radio,” “Spells,” and “Sexy Lemon”—all carried this fuzzy grit underneath all the dreamy guitars, and with the band having a really great time on stage. 

NewDad walked onstage and somehow kept the exact same atmosphere. Julie Dawson’s vocals sounded ridiculously effortless live, just floating over all the swirling guitars without ever getting buried underneath them. Between Julie, Sean O’Dowd, and Fiachra Parslow, the band sounded incredibly tight, but still soft around the edges in the best possible way.

Songs like “Angel” and “Blue” sounded massive live, but the moment I really dug was their cover of “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Instead of trying to force the chaotic dance energy from the original, they slowed it down just enough to pull it into their own dreamy little universe. It sounded darker, moodier, and honestly kind of gorgeous. I like that both bands gave new life into well-loved songs because it’s pretty brave to throw covers into a set! Nobody was trying too hard. No awkward crowd work. No fake big rockstar moments. Just genuinely good music filling a room full of people who were very obviously happy to be there. It’s hard to be a touring band, let alone coming all the way from Ireland and England, and we’re lucky they made a stop in the ‘Lou! | Laura Jerele