A Letter From La Dispute at Mohawk

Desarey Elizondo Lopez 

Music Journalist 

The weather was rainy and foggy, and the lights were hazy as I arrived at Mohawk Tuesday night. I navigated my way to the front as most of the crowd was taking shelter under what little roof was available at the venue. However, a bit of rain would not stop me nor anyone else from having the best night with La Dispute.  

My first introduction to them was through “King Park” when it was recommended to me one day, and I’ve been a fan of the band ever since. La Dispute is a post-hardcore five-piece from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are made up of vocalist Jordan Dreyer, drummer Brad Vander Lugt, guitarist Chad Morgan-Sterenberg, guitarist Corey Stroffolino, and bassist Adam Vass. The band is on tour for their latest album, called No One Was Driving The Car. Some of my favorite songs are off that album, so hearing them live instead of through old headphones was an experience I was really looking forward to.  

I arrived halfway through Flooding’s set, who was opening for the night. I’ve also been a fan of their music for some time now as well, so I was eager to see them. They are a three-piece from Kansas that take inspiration from shoegaze, screamo, and slowcore. Flooding put on an amazing set that was loud and set the tone for the rest of the night. Next up on the lineup was From Indian Lakes, an indie rock band who are in fact from Indian Lakes Estates, California. They were the only band that night that I was unfamiliar with, but they left a great first impression on me that left me wanting to hear more. 

After standing in the rain and fog for two sets, the background music died down and La Dispute stepped onstage. The crowd erupted into cheering as they began playing the first song, “I Shaved My Head.” Upon hearing the first strum of the guitar, I found myself already in the pit, flinging myself off the people around me. The entire crowd had evolved into a mass of bodies, and I was in the middle of it all. At some point I squirmed my way up onstage and flung myself onto some concertgoers below before being dropped immediately after, which was probably the most fun I had in a while. Vocalist Jordan Dreyer then announced their most popular song, “King Park,” before the pit started up again. 

The band commanded the crowd’s energy and took breaks in between songs to hold conversations with us and keep us engaged. They would pick up the energy before slowing it down with a calmer song and repeat the cycle. I was entirely entranced by the distorted-sounding guitars, heavy-hitting drums, and Jordan Dreyer’s electric vocals. I found myself shouting the lyrics to nearly every song and would hop back into the pit if the song called for it. They ended their set with “Environmental Catastrophe Film,” a slow, eight-minute song to  

end the night on a calmer note. For this song, only the vocalist and one of their guitarists remained onstage, making it feel more intimate than the rest of their set. I couldn’t look away at their performance, and even after they left the stage, I remained a little while longer hoping to catch a glimpse of La Dispute before they continued their tour. 

From moshing in the pit to getting up close and personal with the band, experiencing La Dispute live surpassed any expectations I could’ve had. I grabbed a shirt and poster at the end of the night to remember the chaos of their performance. I left satisfied and drenched from the rain, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.