Sloppy Jane, Godcaster @ Baby’s All Right

by Ellen Qbertplaya | Nov 12, 2021 | Shows

Sloppy Jane at Baby’s All Right (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)

Haley Dahl and her band, Sloppy Jane, celebrated the release of their new album, Madison, with a stunning performance on Sunday night 11/7/21 at Baby’s All Right. Despite this show being my fifth time seeing the band live, I still didn’t know what to expect. While her music itself cannot be easily characterized and is thereby challenging and unpredictable, I find the live performance aspect of Sloppy Jane a whole different experience.

Initially, at the start of the set, upwards of a dozen musicians crammed onto the small stage at Baby’s before Dahl even entered the room, and when she finally did arrive, she served as conductor of the orchestra, with her back turned towards the audience. She assembled this diverse group of musicians and their instruments to create a blissful, deliberate cacophony that eventually gave way to her vocals and very physical performance.

Whenever I’ve seen Sloppy Jane live, I feel as though I’m on a carnival ride that takes me through all kinds of emotions. I feel giddy, exhilarated, melancholy, energized, and maybe even a little frightened. I have a deep appreciation for what Haley Dahl and her band put into their show. If you ever have the opportunity to witness Sloppy Jane live, go. I promise you won’t be bored. And check out the new album, it was recorded in an underground cave in West Virginia, for pete’s sake.

Philly band Godcaster opened the show and were a good match for Sloppy Jane, led by Justin Kolk on guitar and vocals, and Von Kolk on flute, guitar and vocals. They had a similar in-your-face abstract punk rock quality to their music that worked well.

Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Ellen Qbertplaya)