Starfucker KILLS IT.

When asked if Portland band Starfucker (STRFKR) had anything they’d like to mention about their show, drummer Kiel Corcoran had one thing to say:

“I think Ian here would make a really good Vulcan.” 

The newest member of the band, Ian Luxton, pulled back his hair to show off an unabashedly Vulcan face-shape. It was easy to see how the fun personalities of the band members translated into practically sold-out show.

“Yeah, my dad watches Star Trek, and they actually used the Star Trek font on the posters,” vocalist Josh Hodges added. “I thought that was pretty funny.” 

The band performed to a packed house at the Bell Tower Monday night, with a little help from local bands Yarn Owl and Rythmmemory.

The line of excited fans trailed out the door and around the corner onto E Main St. at 8 p.m., catching the attention of many passing cars—several of which stopped to inquire what was happening at the venue that night.

“I had no idea this many people liked STRFKR,” one show-goer said to a friend. “There are so many people here.”

The turnout was a shock for all those involved. Several audience members drove from Moscow to see the show. Each band seemed to draw its own crowd.

“We were very pleasantly surprised with the show,” STRFKR bassist/keyboardist Shawn Glassford said. “We were actually taking bets on how many people were going to be here. I think the highest number was 41. I won.”

Over 300 people showed up for the show—making for a hot, crowded and ultimately ideal show experience. Moscow band, Rhythmmemory started off the evening with a short set of ambient electronic music that actively engaged the crowd. By the time Rhythmmemory members Mike Siemens and Ian Corrigan played their electro rework of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” most of the audience was dancing.

“That’s the one I was really nervous about,” Siemens said of the track. “Everyone knows it, that could go any way, really.” 

Yarn Owl followed suit, delivering strong, feel-good indie rock for a noticeably rowdier audience. It’s hard to not draw comparisons between vocalist Javier Suarez and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (though Koenig does not have Suarez’s smoothness). The band played such tunes as “Respite,” the tight harmonies came through pretty cleanly through the wobbly BellTower speakers. This show was particularly bittersweet for the members of Yarn Owl, as it was the last show they will play in Pullman before the members go their separate ways.

“As cheesy as it’s going to sound, I’m glad we played our last show here in Pullman,” drummer Theodore Powers said.

By the time STRFKR hit the stage, the room was absolutely packed with energy. Several audience members held onto the speakers—if for no other reason but to make sure they didn’t fall on any of the people dancing frantically in the front row. True to their word, STRFKR delivered a party atmosphere, complete with disco-esque strobe and laser lights.

The audience activity level bumped up to nearly crowdsurfing levels by the time they performed “Bury Us Alive,” which, as promised in the band’s interviews with other publications, was beyond the quality of the album.

“The whole thing went amazing, actually,” Glassford added. “I felt like we had some problems with sound and we showed up late and didn’t actually get to [sound] check or anything, but it just went great.”