Photos by Kim Rottmayer
Words by Chip Midnight
The second-to-last date of the first leg of Friko‘s early Spring tour saw the band return to Columbus after opening for Royel Otis at the Newport Music Hall last September. This time, the Chicago band that topped my “Favorites of 2024” list was in the headline spot and despite members of the band battling some road illnesses, they delivered a 13-song set that not only included 8 songs from Where we’ve been, Where we go from here but four newer songs that hopefully wind up on the band’s sophomore release. While all four new songs were great, the standout to me was “Choo Choo” which, in typical Friko fashion, was bristling with energy and felt like it could go off the rails at a high rate of speed at any moment.
Breaking news today: Friko has been announced as the opening act on the August dates of The Flaming Lips/Modest Mouse summer tour. If you missed this show or need to see them again (like I do), you’ll have to travel to Cincinnati where the tour will be stopping at the Andrew J Brady Music Center on August 12.
