Lead singer and tambourine swinger, "Ozzy" Williams, might have been a less boorish Oasis frontman, outfitted in a gray, long sleeve tee crisply tucked into a pair of dad jeans. A hoop dangled from his left earlobe, which swayed to the raucous shoegazing of the set. To his left, was bassist Cavan McCarthy, who also took the form of another 90s great: Billy Corgan, if Corgan decided it was again okay to wear a red silk shirt with velvet pants.
Even without their keyboardist, Swim Deep was still confident, making Ohio's capital their own little British dive bar for the night. Each of their songs was simply a cheaper alternative to LSD, making the audience spin with wailing guitars and tempestuous shrieks from Williams' microphone. Their shadows danced on the walls of the venue, sending the room into a euphoric experience suitable enough for an Irvine Welsh novel.
Set standouts, "She Changes the Weather" (from 2013's Where the Heaven Are We) and "Forever Spaceman", attracted young girls in winged eyeliner and striped crop tops to squeal, some holding signs in adoration of the band's cheekiness. The latter, which Williams introduced as a song about "wanting to do something then actually doing it", was accompanied by an appearance from his Lake Placid Blue Fender. The band abandoned all virtuosity at this point, letting their instruments duel over the loudspeakers.
After they swept themselves off the stage, some fans shoved their way out of the crowd, obviously impressed enough to go home. Swim Deep held themselves with both a tripping and dripping confidence and an air of deserving to be there, and it's quite safe to say that they do.
//Angelia//
