photo by John Shafto
It’s imperative you find ways to keep what’s familiar close to your heart after transplanting to an unfamiliar territory. It is your background after all that defines your character.
Being an official resident of Atlanta for nearly three weeks, I feel like I have been flung into a mind-warping whirlwind without a proper grasp on my bearings. A bout of relief came Wednesday, Oct. 17, when the bubbly, daydreaming pop band, and Omaha natives, Tilly and the Wall came to Atlanta to play alongside New Orleans booty-shaking bounce fashionista Nicky Da B.
I showed up to Terminal West, a venue on the western part of the Midtown neighborhood that looks like it’s sandwiched in between an art school and a Paul Mitchell hair salon with a corporate parking lot, full of electric armguards and well-manicured shrubbery. As I got inside the industrialized venue that resembled the chop shop from Adventures in Babysitting, with the crisscrossed rafters and dual ceiling fans with 20-foot-long blades, I met up with lead singer Neely Jenkins just after sound check to catch up with where the band has been.
For Tilly, nearly four years’ worth of time has been consumed by child-bearing, relocating and embarking on new endeavors outside of the group, but once talk of a new album stirred, the Tilly anticipation level greatly rose.
“When we were writing the record, Heavy Mood, there was this whole wait period on when we could come out,” says Jenkins atop the back balcony of TW that is pinched and positioned alongside a series of train tracks. “That was the most exciting aspect for me — seeing the hype slowly building on the internet, then finally being able to see the fans and their reactions has been great.”
photo by John Shafto
Time apart from the band has individually altered the lifestyles of the members, but being able to maintain a collective consistency allows the band to function as Tilly and the Wall.
“We’ve all grown up and some of us have moved away, which might create subtle differences, but I feel like our songwriting hasn’t changed,” Jenkins says. “We might just use a computer a little more to share ideas.”
Tilly and the Wall’s recently released album, Heavy Mood, still portrays a sunshiny, tweenster, foul-mouthed party mentality. It's all that, but more brash and persistent without rudeness.
“Guess who’s back?! TILLY!” was the repeated chant from the Terminal West stage as the lights dropped and the Peggy Noland-approved neon garments lightly glowed as they found their corresponding positions on stage. The glitter bombs, the colorful tights, the balloons, the groovy nail polish and the mismatched socks were signs that channeled a brute familiarity as Tilly and the Wall bellowed out hits like “Alligator Skin,” early into the set.
photo by Julie Lynn Vann
Although the stage presence still resembles previous Tilly, life on the road has rightfully developed into a family-oriented atmosphere with the kiddos along for the ride.
“We have a ‘family’ van and a ‘crew/tour’ van, which brings home the fact that it’s not just about you anymore, it’s about your family,” Jenkins says. “Getting up in the middle of the night, making sure that the kids are entertained in the car definitely has its own challenges.”
Speaking of touring, Tilly and the Wall recruited the fabulously flamboyant New Orleans bounce artist Nicky Da B.
photo by John Shafto
Nicky surfaced the stage with his two dancers, one male and one female, and ferociously mollywhopped the hell out of walls, monitors, speakers and the DJ booth with their voluptuous derrières as the wobbly vocals lashed against the pummeling dance beats.
Before the set, I was unaware that it was “National Ass Day,” and given the importance of such a holiday, Nicky encouraged fans alike to join him on stage and shake their money-makers. Black Lips’ Cole Alexander made a special cameo appearance to the stage to shake the fury out of his wild backside.
“I’m not a freak, I’m just a little nasty,” says Nicky Da B, whose self-proclaimed characteristic may be the best way to describe his show.
“He [Nicky] is perfect for us,” Jenkins says. “His crew brings such an energy, and a lot of people haven’t heard of him or seen his videos, so I love to go out into the crowd and see people’s reactions go from shocked to super excited — I can’t imagine this tour without him.”
photo by Julie Lynn Vann
On the surface, Tilly can be classified as an Omaha band, but for guitarist/singer Derek Pressnall and keyboardist Nick White, Atlanta is where they hail.
“I feel like there are a couple cities that feel like home. Atlanta being one of them because the boys are from here,” Jenkins says. “Obviously Omaha. Since Nick and I both moved to L.A., that feels like home, as well. Those are the shows that we get most excited about because we get to see our family and friends, and we have great support from many local bands in the area, as well.”
PHOTO SLIDESHOW
photos by John Shafto and Julie Lynn Vann
Steven Ashford is a Hear Nebraska contributor. He awaits The Faint and Icky Blossoms in Atlanta. Reach him at stevena@hearnebraska.org.