REVIEW: 9Million: Live at The Eastern - ATL (Night 2)

9Million at ATL's The Eastern on August 29th (Photo by Mikey Smith)

Bringing Toronto shoegaze to Atlanta, 9Million played a killer set opening for Ethel Cain for her second night at The Eastern. The seven stars of the band came fully-prepared, playing cuts off their new self-titled album. 

Sonically, 9million leans more towards to melodic side of shoegaze. Within the hazy riffs and hypnotic vocals, each member of the band brings their own unique layer to the live show. The structure of the group feels very collaborative. From what I could tell, nearly every player sang vocals throughout the set. There was not a single part of the set where someone didn’t contribute an essential element which is impressive for a band of seven.

Lead singer Matthew Tomasi with bassist Jamie Fastlane (Photo by Mikey Smith)

My favorite part of the night was the antics of the band during and between the set. If your city is lucky enough, you may get a special visit from “The Tire.” Lots of love was also shown to the lead characters from Family Guy with constant shoutouts in between songs.

If you love any shoegaze, alt-rock, or dreampop from the 90’s, 9Million is perfect for you. Comparing them to those who came before would be selling them short however. The group brings their own twist on the classic sounds of The Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine for a new generation to obsess over. 

Big thanks to 9Million and their team for letting us cover this show! We had a blast getting to watch you guys rock. Please enjoy a photo gallery of highlights from the night below.

All photos by Mikey Smith. Please credit @mts2.photo or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.