On April 23rd, 2026, Chapterhouse, the ever moody shoegaze band hailing from Reading, England, embarked on their Whirlpool 35th Anniversary tour. This tour marked the months-long celebration of, you guessed it, their titular album Whirlpool’s 35th birthday. This brought them to San Francisco’s August Hall to perform the album in its entirety, plus a few choice favorites.
But before Chapterhouse and their devoted fans could begin the birthday festivities, the night of extreme guitar distortion and adrenaline pumping cymbal crashes started off with opening band The Asteroid No.4 taking the stage. The band, which originated in Philadelphia in the late 1990s and has since put down roots in the Bay Area, is known for being a “wall of sound”, as one concert goer said. Their discography from their 1998 debut (Introducing…) to their most recent (In Praise of Shadows), is commendable for the band’s ability to mesh the transitive and mind altering genre of psychedelia with the more brooding and emotional inclinations of shoegaze. With thrashing guitar parts, thumping bass, and crashing drums, the band created a cacophony of noise that seemed to seep into the audience’s collective consciousness. It was loud, it was maybe a bit messy, but it was also completely exhilarating.
Once The Asteroid No.4 exited the stage, the venue was immediately bathed in a sea of blue by the overhead lights. It was almost as if the concertgoers were on the ocean floor, waiting patiently, but excitedly for the “whirlpool” to come. All of a sudden a technicolor rainbow washed over the crowd and the moment we all were waiting for began.
The band opened with the song “Ecstasy II” and quickly dove into the rest of Whirlpool seamlessly, playing hits like “Autosleeper” and “Breather” among others. Supported by what seemed like over a hundred pedals, guitarists and vocalists Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman with their completely angelic harmonies and melodies were able to permeate through the heavy distortion and delay of it all. Of course the totally rocking guitar, bass, and drums were able to get feet jumping and legs moving, but the soft and tender vocals were able to make each heart in attendance pump a little harder, make everyone feel a bit different than they had before they entered August Hall.
Maybe the music of May 28th made some concertgoers feel a rush of pure rock n roll excitement. Maybe it made them feel a new appreciation for music, a gratitude for life, or a joy for happiness. Whichever result it was, that night 35 years after Whirlpool’s release, in the crowd mothers danced with daughters, lovers and friends grasped on to each other a little tighter to share the night’s vibration, and fans enjoyed a totally banging concert. Happy birthday Whirlpool.
Review by Ruby Labrie, photos by Genevieve Achee
