It’s a Worchie Wednesday: Sincere Engineer at the Palladium Upstairs
Before a single note was played Wednesday night at the Palladium Upstairs in Worcester, Sincere Engineer frontwoman Deanna Belos was already at the merch table, slinging gear herself and meeting every fan who walked up. No merch person. No bass player dutifully pulling double duty. Just Deanna, a table full of shirts, pins, and posters, and a line of people who were very happy to be there having full conversations with one of their favorite bandleaders. It was a small moment that said something large about why this band has the dedicated following it does.
The Palladium Upstairs is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a tight room above the main venue. For some acts that might feel like a step down. For a punk show with a cult following crowd, it was the right room on the right night.
Smug opened the evening, the electric punk project of Drew Thompson out of Ontario, performing essentially in the dark with just a laptop hooked up to a projector that displayed his videos and lyrics as he sang along. He acknowledged that some people might call it karaoke, adding that the difference was he actually knew the words. It was a fun, low-key way to kick off the night. Stay Inside followed, a post-hardcore punk band from Brooklyn whose lineup included a trumpet player that somehow fit perfectly into their sound. Their guitarist mentioned it was his last night on tour for this run and promised to give away his setlist to a fan who could find him after the show. This was only notable because the back of it was a Charli XCX signed photograph, a genre mismatch so absurd the room laughed immediately. Whether anyone tracked him down afterward remains unknown.
Sincere Engineer's Probable Claws, their fourth album recorded at Chicago's Electrical Audio, the legendary studio of the late Steve Albini, came out in June and anchored a good portion of the night's setlist. Opener "Twist My Tongue" went straight into "Anemia" and "California King" before settling into a set that moved between new material and catalog deep cuts. Sincere Engineer has been around over a decade now and has the discography to back up a full set. Belos mentioned she had originally been calling it "Worchie Wednesday" before learning that Worcester is pronounced "Woostuh," which got a good laugh from the locals who are all too aware of the weird ways things are pronounced in Mass.
"Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7" arrived mid-set, a fan favorite that has taken on a life of its own in Sincere Engineer's community over the years. This show didn’t have anyone showing up in hot dog costumes like their local Chicago shows always do, but the song was a big moment either way.
Sincere Engineer have spent years opening for bands like Hot Mulligan, The Menzingers, and Joyce Manor, building a following that shows up the way the Worcester crowd showed up Wednesday. Your favorite band knows and loves Sincere Engineer. The Palladium Upstairs on a Wednesday night made that very clear.
Their Probable Claws Tour wraps up mid September so check here to see if you can catch them in your city!
SINCERE ENGINEER SETLIST:
Twist My Tongue
Anemia
California King
Settle Up With Your Downfall
The Perfect Crime
Fireplace
Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7
Cooler
Library of Broken Bindings
Arborvitae Evergreen
DNA
Overbite
Encore:
Landline
Fast Forward, Rewind
Trust Me
