Article by Betsey Lewis | Photo Gallery by Cameron Castaldi
What happens when a live magician, a violinist, a sparkly speedo-clad rocker, and a genre-bending surf-rock trio walk into the Granada… a show this past Saturday, April 26th unlike anything LFK has ever seen.
I first saw the Chicago-based headliner opening for Julien Baker in 2021 at the same location. I was in my first semester at KU and newly 18. The unlikely blend of lead singer, Emily Kempf’s squealing vocals, guitarist Jason Balla’s serpentine movements and droning vocals, and Eric McGrady’s marching drums immediately pulled me in. After the show, I devoured their discography for years – finding solace in the jangling sounds of Flowers of Devotion (2020) and Water (2019). When I moved the following summer, I framed the signed Flowers of Devotion vinyl I bought at the show on my living room wall — showcasing the translucent neon green press for everyone who entered my new home to see.
In 2022, I obsessed over Blue Skies. In 2024, songs from Poetry came up every time I opened Spotify.
Dehd has littered the soundscape of my undergraduate career, their sound evolving as I have. So when I found out they were touring their 2024 album, Poetry, near the end of my last semester at KU, I knew I had to be there. Some way. Somehow…
(Shoutout KJHK and The Granada for providing me with the opportunity to see Dehd live again and Cameron with the chance to shoot some awesome flicks of the acts!)
Boy, oh boy, was I impressed with the events that transpired on Saturday, April 26th!
When Cameron and I got to the show, neither of us knew who the openers would be. We were both simply enticed by Dehd and didn’t do any research about who would accompany them. This is why Merlin Brando’s magically impressive set was such a complete surprise. Emily and Jason walked out and personally introduced his set with beaming smiles.
I’ve never heard of a magician opening for a band’s set, but it worked so well! Brando’s interactive magic — accompanied by the suspenseful sounds of Chelsea Bridge’s violin – drew the audience closer to the stage, knitting us together in anticipation.
MERLIN BRANDO
In between the openers, it was clear the Granada crowd had become friends, as we all were giggling and talking amongst ourselves about Merlin Brando’s artistry. So by the time Sweat FM mounted the stage, the audience was riled to see what came next.
And the energy only ramped up from there. The 45 minutes that followed were an odd yet exciting whirlwind of countless tearaways and costume changes and frenetic jumping jacks set to a backdrop of Dom Rabalais (Sweat FM)’s paintings, lipsyncing, brainrot, and other interesting videos – the most memorable of which was a close-up video of Rabalais peeing himself.
Genuinely could not have anticipated this opening combination, which was such a welcome and creative detour from the formulaic rut many live sets fall into.
SWEAT FM
Just when we thought the show couldn’t get any better, Dehd walked out to a backdrop of gummy bears/dogs (?) swirling into each other set to “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project. Standing in the front row as they began “Window,” I had tears in my eyes. Dehd defied any expectations I had going in, performing with a swagger I hadn’t seen in 2021. Their goofy, lighthearted disposition was still there, but the band really showcased their confidence in performing and maintaining an authentic connection with the songs, each other, and the audience. It was simultaneously meta and insanely intimate.
We were lucky enough to get the setlist at the end of the show, which was just the cherry on top of an amazing evening!
DEHD
Post-show, Cameron and I got to chat briefly with Emily and Jason, recorded a station ID with Jason, and bought funny tees repping Dehd. We closed out the night by engaging in a twenty minute conversation about the importance of the DIY scene with Chelsea Bridge and Merlin Brando in front of The Granada.
Though the night had to come to a close, the magic of the Dehd show will live on in our memories.