By C. FRANCIS O'LEARY // Worriers are a relentlessly touring Punk band. The group just finished up an eight-show tour of the West Coast, a leg of what front person Lauren Denitzo (Pronouns: they/them/theirs) sometimes calls the forever tour. This leg included two stops in Oregon, one at Portland bar, Killingsworth Dynasty, on June 18, and another in Corvallis basement, Mudville Station, on June 25.
Driving down the streets of a residential neighborhood in Corvallis, looking out for the DIY venue, it suddenly becomes clear you’ve reached your destination. Before you hear anything indicative of a concert venue, you see forty or so people in the driveway of one of the homes – denim vests abound. This is the place for a Punk show, and Worriers are a relentlessly touring Punk band. The group just finished up an eight-show tour of the West Coast, a leg of what front person Lauren Denitzo (Pronouns: they/them/theirs) sometimes calls the forever tour. This leg included two stops in Oregon, one at Portland bar, Killingsworth Dynasty, on June 18, and another in Corvallis basement, Mudville Station, on June 25.
Worriers formed as a side project for Denitzo, who was then part of another Punk band, The Measure [SA]. The year Worriers released its first single, 2011, was also the year Measure broke up, and Worriers became Denitzo’s primary creative outlet. Since then, Worriers has released an EP and two LPs. The band makes music about politics, queer identity, love and loss, among other topics. Fans of Chris Farren, Hard Girls or Portland’s own J. Graves should give Worriers a listen.
They won’t be disappointed.
In an interview, Denitzo said, “I love touring. I love being on tour.” Attendees of Worriers Oregon shows could easily confirm that. Throughout the sets band members smiled at one another, joked around on stage and charmed the audience.
At Killingsworth Dynasty, the crowd, who looked to mostly be in their 30s, opened a small mosh pit of between eight and twelve people, bumping into each other and laughing – and between songs checking to make sure other attendees were okay with being occasionally jostled. It was an extremely polite mosh pit. At Mudville Station, in front of the stage, sandwiched between the water heater and a ventilation apparatus, in the decade younger crowd there were snippets of conversation about large-scale societal change and what people were focusing on in their dissertations. Though the two venues had distinct vibes, Worriers was as at home as the crowds were in both environments.
Whether you prefer dancing in front of a raised stage or next to a laundry machine, you’ll want to keep up with Worriers to be sure you don’t miss the next Oregon installment of the forever tour. Follow the group at @worriersmusic on twitter. There you may also hear developments about an upcoming album Denitzo claims is in the works. Though no further information is currently available, Worriers track record is enough to ensure that when it comes, it’ll draw a crowd.
Set list
The Possibility
What We’re Up Against
Chasing
Plans
They/Them/Theirs
Good Luck
Yes All Cops
WTF Is Sleep
Gaslighter
Future Me
????
Not Your Type
No More Bad News
Saddest Little Waffle House in Eastern Pennsylvania