Chris Farren: Pop Music for Punk Rockers
by Caleb Peck
Standing outside of ONCE Somerville, wishing I had brought a bigger jacket, I began to observe the crowd lined up for Chris Farren’s Born Hot tour. As a bunch of Earth-tone clad individuals with flannels layered over bunches of band tees smoked and chatted around the convenience store in front of me, I turned to my coworker and asked, “Do you think this is gonna be a mosh?”
Through the first two sets, there was no question. Macseal, a Power Pop/Emo band from New York energized the crowd, leading to a dedicated group of younger fans throwing their bodies together and scream-singing along to the melancholy lyrics. Next came Retirement Party, a female lead indie punk band with a singer’s voice so infectious that even I had to join the pit for a few moments. After one song, I looked over and saw a kid holding a pair of smashed glasses. I took a picture, which would be my last of the night as the camera I was borrowing would become equally smashed between the 30 or so flying bodies in the middle of the ballroom. All of this is to say, by the time the openers finished, I felt like my query had been answered. Yes, this was a mosh.
Then everything changed when the preset playlist came on, and the charming notes of “Boys,” by Charli XCX began to trickle through the loudspeakers. Farren slowly began to set up his futuristic and overly-complicated appliances, a custom mic stand coated with white paint, nonsensical red and green wires, and clusters of crystalline fairy lights. This theme was consistent throughout his synth, guitar, and even his body, as shimmering glitter was plastered over his face, just narrowly skirting around the trademark Farren mustache.
As the crowd swelled to capacity, the aesthetics and playlist melted and mellowed, soft lighting and colorful shirts appeared on stage, calming the onlookers. By the time Farren played the opening notes of his set, I knew, this was not going to be a mosh.
Chris Farren popped onto the stage, immediately transforming into the wonderfully self-absorbed character he plays on stage. His first song was slightly marred by some projector malfunctions, but after the mishaps were addressed, the audience had the privilege of watching his homemade-graphics synced up to every song. Two highlights: a looped illustration of Farren him eating smaller versions of himself, and slides that simply read “GUITAR SOLO” when he began his guitar solos.
On multiple occasions during the set, Farren stopped the show entirely to make a myriad of announcements. As he quieted down the crowd about halfway through, he yelled the words, “There's 90 days ‘til my birthday!”, accompanied by a slide that stated there were in fact, 90 days ‘til his birthday. The crowd went wild.
These Hollywood Handbook-esque bits were perfectly interspersed throughout the show. Whether he was yelling snarky responses at his fans, talking about how hot he is, or releasing balloons with his face on them (which I now have hanging around my room), Farren played a character to perfection.
This character is not only present in his performances, but in all facets of Farrens life. His album prior to “Born Hot”, is called “Can’t Die” a satirical ode to his accomplishments. If you look at the album cover in all its glory, it neatly spells out the phrase “Chris Farren Can’t Die”, above a black and white photo of a beautiful, long-haired, Farren staring down the camera. This is obviously not how Farren truly pictures himself, but rather a satirical cover for his true personality. It juxtaposes perfectly with his honest songs, filled with doubt and second guesses,.
Despite his somewhat flamboyant character, relatively chaotic projections, and countless jokes, for the most part, the crowd simply swayed back and forth, with slow nods and soft smiles. His irony and synth-heavy love songs were antidotes for the cold, desperate hearts of Boston’s punks.
Farren has perfected this antidote. He employs song structure that crescendos and rocks out just enough to appeal to his crowd, and stuffs his happy-sounding power-pop songs with lyrics like “Can’t fall asleep and I can’t wake up, Why does a stranger live in my skull, Watch my warning signs explode,” that could just as easily be sang over harsh guitar riffs and loud drums rather than dancing synth and cheering guitars. It’s no coincidence that he’s good friends with people like Jeff Rosenstock (who he collaborates with under the name Antarctigo Vespucci). It is Farren’s similar ideology and talent that has garnered him this approval from the punk elites.
The final track of the night was, “Love Theme from ‘Born Hot’”. Farren energetically hopped around the stage, as the crowd reached a new high of excitement. Balloons were knocked around in the air, flashing lights reflected on the grins of the audience, repeating the chorus, “Baby, Let’s stay in love.” The room was filled with happiness as the final “Guitar Solo” slide of the evening popped up on the screen. In a night filled with songs about the struggles of love and mental breakdowns, Farren made sure that nobody was sad in the end.