Photos by Meadow Neubauer-Keyes

Blaring guitars. Vocals with high reverb. Fuzz, dirt, and noise. These are characteristics of shoegaze, a genre pioneered by British and Irish bands such as my bloody valentine and Slowdive in the late 1980s. Today, with help from the internet, bands like julie are revitalizing the genre.

julie is a trio from Orange County, California, composed of Alex Brady, Keyan Pourzand and Dillon Lee. It’s been over 2 years since they released their 6-track EP, pushing daisies; their latest single, “catalogue,” was released in September. Despite their relatively limited discography, julie has become somewhat of a cult classic among young shoegaze listeners on TikTok. Since late last month, they have been touring the country: ardent fans search eagerly for tickets to their sold-out shows in the comment sections of the band’s Instagram posts.

julie’s Chicago show took place at Schubas Tavern, a homely venue in the Lakeview neighborhood. The line of young fans twisted around the side of the brick building. Doors opened at 7:30 pm, and the crowd quickly filled the room at the back of the old-style tavern.

The opening act, LA four-piece Blimp, started the evening impressively. Songs (from their June EP, Egg) like “Believing” were uptempo and effervescent. Others, such as “Farmer” (their final number), sent the audience into a daze with hushed vocals, with lyrics evoking southern-gothic images of a farmer and his daughter. At the half-way point of the peaceful “Farmer,” we were startled by a change in mood as the once-tranquil lullaby transformed into a long and emotional cadenza with ominous guitar and crashing drums. In between songs, fans shouted support, like “hell yeah”; no doubt this band will be swept into the limelight by the unpredictable waves of internet crazes.

julie opened their set with a fantastic drum solo from Lee accompanied by Pourzand’s jarring guitar in “lochness,” a melancholic yet fast-paced number. Interestingly, Lee and his drum kit were positioned close to the audience rather than, as in many other bands, tucked away at the back; this allowed for a much more intimate view. One of Lee’s cymbals was broken — a large crack had almost split it in half. I wondered whether this was a deliberate attempt to seem more raw and angsty, or if it was a genuine break. Fans shouted along to accompany Brady’s story-telling lyrics. Herself and guitarist Pourzand took turns vocally; in songs such as “skipping tiles,” this alternation is like a dialogue between two characters; I was reminded of another Californian band LSD and the Search for God. The contents of this dialogue, though, were difficult to make out; lyrics were undoubtedly buried under thick layers of instrumentation. This was somewhat of a pitfall: the softly sung vocals became lost. This feature is a keystone of many shoegaze songs. In my view, however, this didn’t translate well to the live performance setting: the audience couldn’t appreciate the lyrical content of the songs.

Outros were long-drawn out by harrowing guitar chords. Songs which, on tape, are under three and a half minutes long, became prolonged jamming sessions. Rather than speaking to the audience during breaks between songs (there was a brazen lack of audience engagement), julie did not stop playing, preferring to continue the buzzing noisescape and allowing us to remain immersed within it. This choice further exemplified the mysterious, alt-kid persona of the band members.

“flutter,” the band’s first released single, was a clear fan favorite, with over 27 million plays on Spotify. Audience members sang along to impressionistic lyrics: “I’m draped in lead and heavy as a slug / Drag the body under the rug.” A mosh pit began to take form within the center of the room as eager fans swarmed to get engulfed by the contorting crowd. Notably, the song changes tempo halfway through, slowing down, showcasing the band’s unflinching willingness to be experimental.

Another popular song, “april’s bloom,” ended abruptly when Pourzand, hunched over, began winding up miniscule music box which played a high-pitched, eerie tune. The combination of childish elements (such as the several plushies perched on top of on-stage amps) with their dark, heavy sound mark julie’s whimsical uniqueness. The band’s tour poster appears like a detention slip stapled onto a page of math homework; such aesthetic touches appeal to the audience of predominantly college students. julie not only brings a dreamy, noise-filled listening experience but also a visual and emotional journey to its audience.

The set ended with the angry “through your window”; Brady cried out the repeated lyrics: “he watched me without fear.” As the reverb from the final guitar chord rang out, I was left with a feeling of excitement for the future of shoegaze. julie have taken the shoegaze world by storm; their sold-out tour is a testament to the power of the internet in exhibiting talent and breathing new life into older styles.