It’s been three years since La Dispute last played New Zealand, hitting both Wellington and Auckland during their delayed ten year anniversary tour for their seminal album, ‘Wildlife.’ The Grand Rapids, Michigan five piece, known for their combination of uncompromising, experimental hardcore and deeply poetic and emotional lyrics, returned for the last stop of their thirteen month tour in support of their most recent release, the critically acclaimed ‘No One Was Driving The Car,’ and you could tell from the energy of the crowd outside Avondale’s Hollywood Cinema that tonight was going to be something special.

Starting the show by telling us to “Move around and get out any anxieties we might have,” opening act mieke? took to the stage, standing between old TVs playing 90’s anime, Playstation games and backrooms footage. Their atmospheric opening track exploded into sprawling noise rock, with tortured vocals screaming to the crowd’s approval. Announcing this as their second ever gig after playing a free show the previous night in Wellington, the group closed their set out with a pair of songs about the terrifying realization and reality of growing up, with the emotional lyrics bringing the eponymous kawaii vocalist to tears. Making a huge impression on the audience, mieke? are undefinable in the best way possible.

From the opening drum beat of set opener ‘I Shaved My Head,’ the crowd began to move, with drummer Brad Vander Lugt setting the pace for bassist Adam Vass and guitarists Corey Stroffolino and Chad Sterenberg, while vocalist Jordan Dreyer had the Auckland crowd listening to his every word for the next hour. Playing tracks from across the band’s back catalogue alongside cuts from the new album, a quick glance across the crowd showed that there wasn’t a song played tonight that didn’t hit at least a few people on an emotional level.

Continuing on with tracks such as ‘Man With Hands And Ankles Bound,’ ‘Scenes From Highways 1981-2009’ and ‘Woman (reading),’ the band returned the energy the crowd gave them. Dreyer rarely standing still for longer than a few seconds before spinning or pacing across the stage, his body language putting emphasis on his open book lyrics. When the band hit into the hugely powerful and popular ‘King Park,’ there wasn’t a member of the audience who didn’t scream back the song’s haunting ending line “Can I still get into Heaven if I kill myself?”

“The body requires maintenance from time to time,” Dreyer joked afterwards, the band taking a brief moment to pause while his ankle was taped up. Dreyer went on to discuss the band’s disappointment in having to cancel the Wellington show the night before (only the second time the band has ever had to cancel a gig) when weather prevented them from being able to land in the capital, being diverted to Christchurch instead. Showing a deep appreciation for the hospitality and kindness of New Zealanders, they continued on with the show, with another set highlight not long after, when the entire crowd went so silent during the spoken word outro to ‘Autofiction Detail’ that you could have heard a pin drop.

The latter half of the show kept the energy and emotions high, including the venue floor quacking during the audience’s stomping along to ‘Woman (in mirror),’ and the whole room once more singing along to fan favourite ‘Andria.’ Explaining they don’t want to be one of those bands that walks off stage pretending to be tired, only to be coaxed back to play an encore, the group powered through a final pair of tracks, with album standout ‘Environmental Catastrophe Film’ leading straight into the show closer, the seminal ‘Such Small Hands.’

With a sound that’s hard to pigeonhole, La Dispute remain a band that, two decades into their career, remain at the top of their game and still hugely important to their fans. Many members of the crowd left the Hollywood with damp eyes (Even I succumbed to the powerful emotions of ‘Andria’ and ‘I Dreamt Of A Room With All My Friends I Could Not Get In’), and Dreyer’s powerful and eloquent message about the importance of community, supporting the vulnerable and less fortunate, and remaining positive in a world which continues to get heavier struck home with their diverse, open minded audience. While explaining the importance of creating art as a way to continue to survive with your values in tact, Dreyer summed up the band’s message in a single line that many, including myself, won’t soon forget, and will likely carry  forward in the hearts of those who attended:

“To make art and to be a member of a community like this is an open act of defiance.”

Review by Michael Greene, all photography by Mitchell Miller

La Dispute

Mieke