Show Review: The Frights “secret show” (Tower Bar, 2/21/2024)

It was a rowdy Wednesday night at Tower Bar, with some attendees coming from as far as Los Angeles for the event. The Frights only announced the free show one day prior which drew at least a few hundred people to the San Diego landmark dive bar/tattoo parlor. The line formed around 4pm and the inside of the venue was at capacity by 8pm, with no reentry. To compensate those fans who weren’t going to make it inside for the show, The Frights played a short acoustic set for them outside on top of their van.

Photos from Tower Bar @thetowerbar

RICKY (San Diego) opened the night by setting the tone to what was coming with The Frights. Their signature raucous sound got the crowd moving and warmed up for the evening. Their jangle-punk sound is reminiscent of 2010s indie bands like Surfer Blood.

The Frights closed out with a 90-minute set, playing several songs from their 2013 self-titled album which the crowd were enthused to hear. The crowd got a little zesty, a little rambunctious, which was expected for a show of this nature, in a dive bar of this stature. Mikey couldn’t wrangle the crowd when he tried to play an acoustic number, Simple and Strange. They were not having it. Mikey told the crowd to f- off and skipped ahead to the fast part of the song, an indication of what the crowd was after. There was plenty of crowdsurfing, drinks spilling, phones being lost and found, and lyrics being belted out back at the band. Watch the full set below!