Photos: MSPAINT @ Off Broadway | 02.26.23
The Hattisburg grindwave synth quartet MSPAINT, perhaps the most promising band of the moment, shone a light on the uncertainty of the self in a world undone by its own bullshit at Off Broadway in St. Louis, Missouri February 26th, 2023.
I had been trying to see MSPAINT for a minute, but even though they have played St. Louis often, it had not worked out on my end until last weekend. This show, which was local dark synth duo The Mall’s vinyl release for their excellent 2022 album Time Vehicle Earth, seemed destined to be a happening. Besides the two previously mentioned groups, the bill was rounded out with fellow Hattiburgians Skinman, Convulse Records labelmates Destiny Bond from Denver, and local “Finnish hardcore” dudes Kato. Just a quick scan of Skinman and Destiny Bond’s Bandcamps (I couldn’t find anything for Kato) let me know that this show was stacked. The fact that it had to be moved to a larger venue boded well.
And, well, it was a banger. The sort that used to happen in Saint Louis on a monthly, if not weekly, basis.
Curiously, MSPAINT lacks a guitarist, and instead relies on an often-distorted bass and a Korg polysynth to create textures and melodies that both feel familiar and fresh at the same time. It works incredibly well, and their 2020 self-titled EP is a powerful thesis on how such a set up can work, creating a sound that I’ve half-jokingly described as “What if the dude from POD did sick lyrics over Dreamcast menu music?”
As someone who has been photographing live music for over 12 years, I feel like one of the best compliments I can pay to a band is when they are just as good on stage as they are on the record. Frontman Deedee has an undeniable energy, and comes off clear and powerful on the mic where other vocalists could just as easily come off rushed and sweaty. Bassist Randy Rilley has his tone dialed in, covering his territory expertly. Seriously, it’s usually a madman’s folly to try and get distrorted or fuzzed-out bass to sound good live, but he does it. Nick Panella’s keyboard ties so much of the vibe together, and drummer Quinn Mackey locks it all in as one coherent piece.
MSPAINT’s new record Post American comes out March 10th on Convulse Records. Their recent single, “Titan of Hope” whips ass and is already one of my favorite new songs of 2023.
The Shoot
This was my first night out with my new-to-me Fujifilm GFX50sII. I have often joked that I have done everything I have ever wanted to do with music photography except 1) make a living off it and 2) shoot medium format. At least I’m knocking one of those out. Right now, I’ve just got the GF35-70mm f4.5-5.6 WR kit lens. I’m not a big fan of variable aperture lenses, and it’s a bit slow all around for what I need, but it is surprisingly sharp for what it is. The autofocus had a hard time keeping up with the action, regardless if I had it set to single or continuous. My hit rate was much, much lower than if I had used my regular set up, but when everything lined up, I was pretty happy with the results. I knew I wasn’t always going to nail exposure, and opted to go with a faster shutter speed since you can push most of the files from the GFX50sII about 1 stop in LightRoom before they get messy. While the crowd went off pretty hard, the contrast-based AF could not nail focus in the dim light of the dance floor. With a different lens, I imagine it might have gone better.
While you can see the dynamic range and detail that medium format gives you, even at 6400 ISO, the slower lens and the distance from the subjects doesn’t really show off the sweet bokeh that you can get from such a system. More time is needed to see if I wasted my money or not, but I think I’m going to find a way to make it work. Either way, I look forward to seeing MSPAINT live again.
Check out the rest of the photos from MSPAINT’s performance at Off Broadway here.