I was supposed to see The Dirty Nil back in 2021 at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. It was a $15 ticket, and whatever was going on that weekend made it not worth crossing a couple rivers to see a rock show. I tried to offload the tickets for free, thinking that someone would take me up on them. Turns out, The Dirty Nil aren’t — or at least weren’t — the draw I thought they were. I always have that problem with bands I listen to: In my mind Dinosaur Jr. are as big as Taylor Swift. Or, at the very least, Foo Fighters or Weezer. Turns out, not so much.
I’ve regretted missing that show ever since it happened. Not because of the $30 ($42 with service fees) that I sacrificed, but just more because I really wanted to see these guys and let my laziness override my desire. In a space that looks to have been incredibly intimate — especially for a loud-ass rock band. I had been to the The Kitting Factory‘s original-ish Manhattan location a bunch of times — including at least a couple times to see Soul Coughing — but, after moving to Brooklyn in 2009, the re-located Knitting Factory closed for good in 2022. So I won’t ever be going to that venue. But with The Nil swinging through NJ, I had my shot at redemption. Jersey City, here I come!
It had been a minute since I’d been to a show that was not sold out — or at least close to sold out. And, yes, it was a chilly night, but the attendance for the opening bands was not super strong. We actually missed the first opening band, House & Home. I always feel bad about that, but Ms. Hipster and I have to force ourselves not to be early to peoples’ houses and the first people to show up for every concert. So we decided to be more casual and just roll in after we had a chance to eat dinner and stuff. We’re more chill now, that’s the vibe we’re going for. We did catch the second opening band, Grumpster, which I imagine was better attended than the first, but was still kind of thin. They were fun and their music great for a live environment, but Ms. Hipster felt the lead singer’s vibe was a little manically dark. Again, our vibe: chill. Their vibe: dark. We all strive to be our best selves.
Once Grumpter wrapped up, I figured the hall would fill up. I think the capacity is around 800, so not a small place. But also not large. But, honestly, the people who were there were there at that point. I’d say it was maybe half full? I almost wanted to break the fourth wall and yell at those not there: what the hell is wrong with you people, this is The Dirty Nil! Again, my brain thinks every band I listen to is the biggest band in the world. Hipster Jr. Jr. reminds me all the time that nobody knows who the hell bands like The Dirty Nil are. It makes me mad, but I know she’s right. Some asshole “DJ” with a phone app and a laptop has like six trillion views on TikTok or whatever, so I guess that’s what makes for popularity in 2025. I mean, it made for a pleasant concert experience with absolutely no shoving or obstructed views, but I just wish Jersey City could have shown out a little better for our brothers from the great white north.
But, yeah, this is a rock show. Marshalls, Gibsons and the whole deal. Seriously, just a dude with a guitar, a dude with a bass and a guy on a drum kit. No bleeps. No bloops. Really no adornment whatsoever. And, to my ears, that is incredibly welcome and so weirdly throwback-y. Which is kind of The Dirty Nil’s aesthetic, with their mixture of punk, indie rock and some little metal flourishes. Luke Bentham’s voice, above all, is impressive. He manages to strain his singing to the edge perfectly in tune, coming back song after song with equal energy. Bassist Sam Tomlinson looks uncannily like Will Forte, which made me think he’s probably funny with absolutely no proof whatsoever. Drummer, Kyle Fisher, seems like your nice Canadian friend who nods nicely to your inquiries over his bottle Molsen. But Bentham and Tomlinson love their rock jumps and doing their fun rock moves. You know, putting on a show.
Bands like The Dirty Nil are kind of built for the live experience. They sound like their records, but not boringly so. That was my complaint about Interpol, for instance. They recreated their recorded music so closely and so tightly that it felt almost a little lifeless. It sounded amazing, but I could have had the same experience listening to the album at home. The Nil, though, sound like the recording, but the live experience gives it more energy and, as a trio, really gives you the fun musicality of their songs. I also think they use a second guitar on their records, whereas here Bentham has to do some acrobatics to mimic the sound of that two-guitar attack. Which gives some variation and texture to the music — me not being a huge fan of some of the bigger, wall-of-sound thing that can mar some rock shows. The only thing I can think to complain about is that I didn’t get enough Nil! I don’t know if White Eagle Hall has a neighborhood curfew or what, but the band seemed to be lobbying for more time at the end of the night, but ultimately came out for one encore song, which was a Metallica cover. It wouldn’t have been my choice as a final tune — and I would have liked a few more — but it was overall a really fun, energetic show that I wish more people could have experienced.
I mean, it wasn’t the encore, but “Auf Wiedersehen” seems like a perfect ending tune. Maybe it’s too on the nose? But I’m glad they played it anyway.
