REVIEW: cootie catcher: Live at The Masquerade (Purgatory) - ATL

The Toronto-based indie pop group play Purgatory thanks to one of ATL's favorite college radio stations

cootie catcher performing at The Masquerade (Photo by Magali Rivera)

Anita Fowl and Nolan Jakupovski were a couple of musicians looking to gain experience in making music, and the COVID-19 pandemic allowed them the time and space to do just that. cootie catcher started with them as a recording duo in 2020 and quickly expanded to include keyboardist and vocalist Sophie Chavez, as well as drummer Joseph Shemoun.

cootie catcher in Atlanta (Photo by Magali Rivera)

cootie catcher is named after the paper fortune tellers we likely all played with in childhood. The band’s music falls under indie pop, with a distinct 2010s tweeish charm, that leans into encapsulating that fun and freedom of youth sound.

Toronto's cootie catcher in ATL (Photo by Magali Rivera)

The four-piece group hailing from Toronto recently released their third record Something We All Got, which non-coincidentally is an acronym for SWAG. cootie catcher took the stage with an awful lot of it, accompanied by a leveled sparkle of sweetness.

Chavez held down the DJ controller and synth, while Shemoun brought strong drumming to balance out the punchy electronic tracks. Fowl and Jakupovski supported each other nicely on bass and guitar, respectively. They all cycled between one another as singers, which made their already striking sound more variable. While ripping through tracks like “Straight drop,” “Quarter note rock,” and “From here to Halifax,” the entire group was happy and energetic, just the kind of spirit a crowd feeds on.

cootie catcher at The Masquerade's Purgatory stage (Photo by Magali Rivera)

Atlanta bands Strumbrush, Mood Room, and Hillview #73 opened up the night for a crowd eager to support local music, as well as the Canadian rockers. This show was booked by Georgia Tech’s very own WREK 91.1 FM radio station. If the lineup and night showed the audience anything, it’s that college radio is alive and well, and you’ll probably find a new favorite band, from near or far, by listening to it. cootie catcher were a delight to see on this bill and are a welcomed, fresh talent in the indie pop scene.

cootie catcher's show booked by WREK 91.1 FM (Photo by Magali Rivera)

Article and photos by Magali Rivera. Please credit @magliriver or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.