The Wormholes, Ancient Cities, and Pleasure House at Neighborhood Theatre

Photos and Review by Jason Robey

Neighborhood Theatre was the setting for Ben’s Birthday Bash, a show featuring three Charlotte-area bands celebrating Wormholes vocalist/guitarist Ben Verner’s birthday. As local music fans filtered into the venue, newcomers to the scene, Pleasure House kicked into their energetic indie rock set. The band featured songs from their upcoming debut EP, due at the end of February. Following a short break, Ancient Cities treated the crowd to their psychedelic-tinted rock. The band, which has been a staple of the Queen City scene for nearly a decade, got the audience moving with a handful of tracks from their three albums.

The Wormholes took the stage to close the night, playing through a set of atmospheric tracks from their catalog. The two-piece moved through over an hour of dreamy synth pop, with dark blue lights setting a reflective mood inviting the audience to get lost in their thoughts. A haunting melodic cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” was a beautiful mid-set surprise from the duo, as they layered synthesizer sounds with heavily-effected guitars and vocals. Keep an eye on The Wormholes’ social media pages for upcoming shows.