Concert Review: Momma at Mohawk

by Ashley Farnie
Assistant Music Director

When I cover shows I typically get a plus-one to bring along with me. Sometimes I bring my roommate if she is interested in the music, maybe another journalist or photographer to split the coverage, or a friend, if they’re lucky. Momma’s Household Name tour created quite the commotion amongst my small circle.

Selling out the indoor stage at Mohawk, Momma has been rising in fame exponentially since their recent release, “Household Name.” With critical acclaim coming from their record label, Polyvinyl, Momma’s arrival in Austin was highly anticipated.

Dallas based opener Teethe offered a shoegazey set, warming up the crowd for Momma’s rock sound. The performance was solid. The female bassist’s voice floated over entrancing guitar riffs and soft and steady drums.

Two blondes take the stage showing the bond formed making music together as Momma. Recognizable for their catchy and repetitive guitar riffs, the audience could anticipate each song from the first chord. But as the chorus approached and the energy level of the song rose, the performance could not hold a candle to the perfection achieved in their studio recordings.

Most bands I see perform live for the first time pleasantly surprise me – in fact, there are many bands I only listen to live. Momma will remain a top artist of mine on Spotify, but maybe not on my list of live acts to see.

Momma played tracks from their 2020 album “Two of Me” in addition to this year’s “Household Name.” They opened with “Rip Off,” the first track on “Household Name.” Etta Friedman remains on rhythm guitar and lead vocals for the majority of the set, while Allegra Weingarten plays lead guitar and harmonizing vocals.

Momma plays a round of musical chairs and Friedman takes the place of the bassist for “No Bite.” The band takes a break from upbeat rock and repetitive choruses to an acoustic ballad equipped with an electric guitar solo for the duration of the latter half of the song. The beginning of the track carries notes of carny culture that weave themselves throughout Momma’s discography, notably in the outro of “Double Dare” on “Two of Me.”

Although I left Mohawk slightly underwhelmed, I also left with a magic 8 ball keychain from the merch table. It’s just about the way you look at things…

As I am walking to my car to head back to San Marcos, I hear the chord progression of “Evangeline” by Die Spitz – local punk girl band who released their first EP, “The Revenge of Evangeline,” this summer. I followed the music to the outdoor stage at Cheer Up Charlie’s and caught the remainder of a Die Spitz show – queue “Lucky” by Momma!

The energy at the Die Spitz show made up for what the Momma show lacked. Bassist Kate Halter removes her shirt, jumps off the stage into the pit, interacts with the crowd, then scales the structure supporting the stage. She finishes the song from this angle.

The band members each take their turn moshing with the crowd, instruments in hand. Encouraged by the audience, Die Spitz played two songs as an encore. A reciprocal relationship exists between Die Spitz and their fans.

An evening in Austin is never uneventful, and I’m glad I spent mine with Teethe, Momma and Die Spitz!