Lights Out with Orchid at Mohawk

Desarey Elizondo Lopez 

Music Journalist

This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to see the screamo/hardcore band Orchid, a band that I have been a huge fan of for a few years. Their Austin show at Mohawk marked their only U.S. show for this stretch of their Doom Loop World Tour, which of course meant I couldn’t miss out on it.  

What made seeing this band so important for me is that they are one of the main bands that pioneered the sounds of modern day screamo. A lot of the bands I listen to have been influenced by Orchid in some way, so finally seeing them live was like meeting a celebrity. They were also on hiatus for over two decades, so their return to the big stage felt unreal. 

The opening band for the night was Porcelain, a local Austin post-hardcore band who has opened for other major acts such as Unwound. They always put on a good set and get the crowd hyped for the following bands. The next band to go on was Uniform, an industrial metal three-piece from New York City. It was during their set that the pit opened up, and the crowd became wildly more active. The third band of the night was Portrayal of Guilt, another band from Austin, and whose sound has transformed from a typical 90s screamo to a sludgier, metal sound. They were a band I hadn’t heard of before, but I found myself really entranced by their presence onstage as I moved along with the crowd. 

After hours of anticipation, the energy of the room tensed when Orchid finally stepped onstage, feeling almost suffocating. Upon hearing the first few notes of “Le Desordre, C’est Moi”, the entire crowd immediately erupted into a pit of chaos. It was very sudden, but it felt cathartic finally experiencing their greatness. Orchid’s vocalist, Theo Mindell, was also very involved with the crowd, talking to us in between sets and asking if everyone was still okay. The band overall had great chemistry on set and seemed to be having a blast.  

 Although a majority of the set contained heavy hitting and energetic songs, they would occasionally slow the energy down a bit to share a more intimate moment, such as during “Tigers”, where everyone in the crowd sang the intro before the song sprang back into its aggressive and chaotic riffs.  

I asked Abbey Ochoa, an avid concert goer and Orchid fan, to share her thoughts on their performance. “Hearing my favorite song, ‘Lights Out’, live was so surreal and intense. It was crazy listening to them live rather than from my cheap old headphones,” Ochoa said.  

She stated that what stood out to her the most was how lively the audience was, and I’m sure everyone else at the show would agree. I would have to say it was one of the most chaotic and intense shows I’ve been to, but it was the most fun I had in a while, being able to jump around and shove other people. “Everyone was jumping and having a great time. It’s awesome to see how much a band can influence a whole crowd of people.” 

They finally ended the night with “…And the Cat Turned to Smoke”, off their Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow! album, my personal favorite. The night was perfect, aside from the fact that Orchid’s merch sold out before their set, leaving me and many other fans a bit disappointed and wanting something to remember the night. The show was such an incredible experience and one I wish I could relive.