La Dispute, Auckland NZ, 2023

La Dispute

31st August 2023
The Hollywood Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

There is a different type of energy when it is the last night of a tour. A hunger, that is felt by both band and their audience. A craving that always seems amplified by Aotearoa crowds.

The full moon lit the cold brick pathway leading to the iconic The Hollywood Theatre in the heart of Avondale, attendees respectfully lining up awaiting the opening of doors despite the cold bite of the end of winter; there was a reverence in the air, and it was felt by all.

Hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, La Dispute began their career in 2004 and have steadily built a devoted following thanks to their honest baring of hearts on sleeves. With the release of Wildlife in 2011, that following was forever cemented in the minds and spirits of their fans, the ten-year anniversary tour, and the promise of hearing the entire album in full live a dream come true for many.

La Dispute have never been a band who wishes to have their music boxed by genre, but as is human nature we describe things in order to comprehend; they have been labelled as post-hardcore, shoegaze, spoken word and hardcore punk; and to be fair they do indeed incorporate all of these elements and more in their artistry.

But more importantly, La Dispute are honest, raw, and unflinching; they lay out their craft as an offering not to be admired and adored but rather to share their thoughts and feelings on that which is going on in not only their lives but in the lives of those around them and in society itself.

Against a backdrop of muted colours, the quintet quietly arranged themselves to welcoming applause, lead vocalist Jordan Dreyer dressed in black with white sneakers (gone are the days of him playing in bare feet), stepping forward and physically winding up before unleashing the opening lines of ‘a Departure’ with a ferocity that left bottom lips quivering.

Not a vocalist in the traditional sense there is an intensity to Dreyer that is intoxicating, a perpetual motion to both his physicality and the way in which he delivers each song; the complexity of the stories he weaves and rhythmical stylings drawing fans in and holding them there effortlessly.

Rolling straight into the next track, those that knew Wildlife off by heart, sang along, or at times watched and called out key lines as Dreyer gestured to them; call and response often a feature of many a band, but at a La Dispute show it is something else entirely, an instinct that is felt.

‘St Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues’ brought a bouncier beat to the room, audience members down front joyously living in the moment as they pogoed in the mosh pit, before unleashing their heads for ‘Edit Your Hometown’. Subtle blue lighting and a smokey haze infiltrated the stage for ‘Safer in the Forest/Love Song for Poor Michigan’, the elegant guitar intro bringing a temporary calm to the room before Dreyer once again commanded the space.

Taking a moment to address the audience, something that Dryer did frequently throughout the night, it was heartwarming to witness an artist who had obviously taken a genuine interest in the venue they would be performing at; Dreyer speaking of how movies were an art form of their own and to be performing on the same stage of a historic theatre that would soon be featuring films from the revered William Friedkin (The Exorcist, Bug, Killer Joe) who just recently passed away and The Last Waltz as a Father’s Day special was something that meant a lot to both himself and the band. Dedicating ‘a Poem’ to The Hollywood, guitarist Chad Sterenberg discarded the strings momentarily for a trumpet, beautifully elevating the song.

While Wildlife in its entirety is a beloved album, it was ‘King Park’ that brought one and all together with a fervour that burned from within, more than one attendee reciting the almost seven-minute tale of youth and tragedy word for word with the same passion as Dreyer was delivering it before them. Every so often in life there is that one song by a band that, if at all possible, needs to be witnessed live. For La Dispute, this is it.

At times crouching over the lip of the stage or dangling the mic by its cord into the front row, Dreyer was at one point handed roses by someone in the front row, who he thanked while joking that they were all dying being the last night of the tour. With the band these days all living in different places – drummer Brad Vander Lugt himself living in Australia – tours are now a time-consuming combination of both playing and careful organisation.

Pausing once again to address the attendees, Dreyer spoke of how life can indeed be hard, how each person is born into a world that is harsh, a world that far too often is run by governments and people in power who care little for those under them and that even he himself sometimes finds it overwhelming to exist in the quiet moments.

He addressed the fact that our trans members of society, people who are already marginalised are finding it ever increasingly harder – and this is a point that is important – while America is still recovering from the rise of hatred and bigotry given a voice by Trump, one does not have to look far to see that this same bigotry has seeped into the political parties of Aotearoa.

As Dreyer pointed out there is no being in the sky or government that will protect us, it is up to us, “neighbour to neighbour, street to street” to come together and cherish the moments of beauty that are in our lives, to build communities, to learn and to grow with each other. We need to take care of one another, because no one else will do it for us.

This is what Wildlife was written about, what La Dispute were witnessing around them as their country went into economic recession. This is why the album spoke to so many, and why Dreyer’s words resonated even more. If there was one message to take away from the show it was this. Build your community.

With this ‘a Broken Jar’ was dedicated to the fans, La Dispute finishing the set with ‘You and I in Unison’.

An encore was demanded and of course delivered; Dreyer being caught off guard as a birthday cake was brought out to him. Joking that he was hoping not to acknowledge that he is yet another year older, he took the time to thank his family both on and off stage, stating that even if he could go back in time he still would have chosen the same path, for it is what brings both himself and the band fulfillment in a life where we often have to fight to find and obtain happiness.

A three-song encore consisting of Andria, Woman (in mirror) and Hudsonville, MI 1956 brought the sublime show to a close, both band and punters sated.

Life IS hard, so find your people; shelter, and protect the marginalised and those in need, build communities and above all be kind to the ones around you.

La Dispute:

Fruit Juice Parade:

Were you there at the Hollywood Avondale for this spellbinding alternative metal gig? Or have you seen La Dispute perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. a Departure
2. Harder Harmonies
3. St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues
4. Edit Your Hometown
5. a Letter
6. Safer in the Forest/Love Song for Poor Michigan
7. The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit
8. a Poem
9. King Park
10. Edward Benz, 27 Times
11. I See Everything
12. a Broken Jar
13. All Our Bruised Bodies and the Whole Heart Shrinks
14. You and I in Unison
15. Andria [Encore]
16. Woman (Reading) [encore]
17. Hudsonville, MI 1956 [encore]

_{Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.}

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