Kathleen K. Murphy

Gold balloons and streamers drop from the ceiling, and Eva Hendricks steps into the spotlight. She’s wearing an enormous pink tulle dress with white Doc Martens. It’s been a well-worn ensemble this tour, but tonight feels like an occasion. The New York natives are home, staring out at a sold-out Webster Hall — the venue across the street from their alma mater, with a stage they always dreamed of playing.

With the release of Young Enough, Charly Bliss has had a lot to celebrate in the past year. And tonight, it’s as if they decided to throw themselves a homecoming dance to share it with the rest of us.

Their sophomore album features the same glitzy guitar riffs and catchy hooks as 2017’s Guppy but executes them softly to support quieter themes. Guppy was a declaration of self that couldn’t be contained: to be expressed all-at-once and as loudly as possible, the way everything in your teens and early twenties feels. Young Enough offers more inward, self-assured reflection in its lyrics and pacing.
They open the set with Capacity; a perfect testament to their 2-year growth. “I used to think one man could fill me up, but now I know that if I’m always stuck obsessed with somebody else, I’m just distracting myself from looking at myself” is truly a far cry from “I laughed when your dog died, it’s cruel but it’s true/Take me back, kiss my soft side/Does he love me most now that his dog is toast?
The Hendricks siblings headbutt (an onstage tradition) then pick up the pace of the night, jumping into Hard To Believe and The Truth. This gives way to Threat, a b-side that feels plucked from a 90’s romcom montage. If Julia Stiles from 10 Things I Hate About You chose herself over Heath Ledger (and that movie didn’t feature an exclusively ska soundtrack: lol 1999) this track would play as she ran into her own arms.

Supermoon soon follows. Eva’s fists hammer the sides of her tutu as she belts the chorus. It looks as if the tulle is made of rubber, bouncing her arms back into the air.

The droning chords of Heaven, the band’s first and only love song, lulls the crowd into a slow-dance-trance. Each verse sways contentedly, like a happy couple that doesn't have anyone to impress. “Oh, once you realize that this is just a perfect first-dance-at-a-wedding song, this works.” my friend leans and says, just before Eva smiles up at the balcony, and reveals that she’s dedicated it to her friends who are getting married next week, inviting us to serenade them along with her.

After their grand romantic gesture, they roll through the rest of their new album (Under You, Hurt Me, Blown To Bits, Young Enough, and Chatroom, for interested parties), and scurry off-then-back-on-stage for their encore. Eva reveals they’ve saved a surprise for last. “This is my absolute favorite song to dance to of all time, and you all better be dancing along with me” she demands, before the intro beats of Dancing on My Own pulse through the room. The cover catches everyone by surprise, and we lose our collective minds. The ground is shaking from the enthusiasm toward Our-Patron-Saint-of-Dancing-While-Crying, Robyn.

The dancing-while-crying continues as they follow it up with Ruby, and end the night with Glitter: anticipation builds before its climactic guitar solo, like sucking on a rock candy seconds before you crush it between your molars. My circle of friends are screaming along, jumping up and down in unison while holding each other. From a bystandards perspective, we look like a demented greek chorus, but in this crowd, we’re in good company — the kind who aren’t afraid to revel in a night of poptimism.

Charly Bliss Celebrate Their Homecoming at Webster Hall

Kathleen K. Murphy

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