Words by Elisabeth Kay
The extension of LAUNDRY DAY’s Time of Your Life tour was nearing the end of its run as the band played one of their final shows in Baltimore. The February chill still loomed as fans lined up outside Ottobar, with the group camped out at the front evading shivers as they passed out metallic neon party hats to those who joined the line behind them. The show was already promising one big party before the doors opened.
Once they did, a crowd quickly formed in front of the stage set up in the dimly lit, sticker-covered bar. A playlist that contained a multitude of genres rang out as people joined the crowd, ordered drinks, or bought merch– a few shirts were specially made for this tour stop. Soon enough, New York-based DJ Satchel Shure took the stage. He warmed up the audience by blending nostalgia with modern club classics, with a smile spread across his face. Jude Ciulla-Lipkin, lead singer of LAUNDRY DAY, made a surprise appearance with an arm slung around Satchel’s shoulder. The high energy left me wanting more, making the fifteen-minute wait for the main attraction feel like hours.
When the lights finally dimmed once more, and the crowd broke into an uproar of screams, I knew this was going to be worth the wait. “R U READY,” the opening track from their sixth album “EARWORM,” blasted through the speakers as the four boys took their designated places on the stage. Fans immediately started jumping along to the beat, not nervous about their energy waning throughout the show, because at a LAUNDRY DAY show, that’s just not possible.
Though the setlist stays relatively the same throughout the tour, no two shows on the Time of Your Life tour are the same. While extensively celebrating their most recent album, not skipping a song from its dynamic track list, they make sure to show their older releases some love, too. Their most well-known songs, such as “Jane” and “BULLDOG,” continue to capture the hearts of those familiar, and sink into those who are hearing them for the first time. The boys encourage the crowd to pull whoever they came with close during “FRIENDS,” which gained popularity in 2020. Strangers became friends, and friends became closer as they swayed and sang along to the words, “name a time and place, we’ll be fine;” it felt like a sense of hope for the future washed over the small bar. This intimate moment was followed by an acoustic mashup of some of their older releases, including “We Switched Bodies,” which differs from night to night. The party hats didn’t go unnoticed, either; the day before, both guitarists (who coincidentally are both named Henry) shared a birthday. Jude led the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” dedicated to the pair.
Along with these surprises, LAUNDRY DAY delivered another surprise to their Baltimore fanbase. Just days before the release of their latest single, “Shut Up I Love You,” those crowded in Ottobar got to hear the full song, live. The stage lights turned a romantic shade of pink as their performance wowed the expectant audience, delivering sappy, heartfelt lyrics over a beat straight out of a rom-com. It was evident this song will be on the playlists of concertgoers throughout the room upon its release.
The boys left the crowd hungry for more. Thankfully, the encore quickly followed their departure with “Dancing Queen” soundtracking their entrance. They opened the encore setlist with “Why is Everyone a DJ?” and, ironically, Satchel was right in front of me in the mosh pit. While he danced, he held up an iPhone 5C, which the band used throughout the tour to capture memories both backstage and on stage– just another way the boys tried to connect with fans in their own, unique way.
LAUNDRY DAY’s social media presence has been integral to both their album rollout and this tour, though this is only one way the band stays in touch and personal with fans. As the band approached the last song of the encore, “SEE YOU IN ANOTHER LIFE,” band and crowd became one. Instead of watching the moshing from the stage, Jude wanted to be part of the action, making his way into the middle of the pit and moshing with fans surrounding him. Though this moment only lasted a few minutes, it left the venue buzzing with energy even when the stage went empty.
Polyvox Magazine 