Last week, all-female rock band PLUSH kicked off their first headlining tour, “Find The Beautiful” Tour. I caught this fast-rising band on the second stop at the Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, NJ. This followed a special acoustic set at an event sponsored by rock radio station WDHA the night before in Newark.
Written by Jonathan Lane
This tour immediately follows a busy, three-month tour supporting Disturbed, along with Falling in Reverse. Surprisingly, this seems to have only energized Plush, as band members walk onstage looking strong, confident, and fresh. Having formed Plush in 2020, the members are Moriah Formica on lead vocals and guitar, Bella Perron on lead guitar, Ashley Suppa on bass and vocals, and Faith Powell on drums.
The sold-out Debonair crowd shakes the house with a raucous reception and the rockin’ begins, opening with “Athena”. This pounding rocker with husky vocals by Moriah, and supported by Ashley, lights up the room.
Altogether, Plush dishes out a set of 15 tracks, with a generous helping from the 2021 Debut album “Plush”, and all six tracks from the newly released EP, “Find The Beautiful”.
Every tune added value and excitement to the show – highlights for me include:
“Champion” – picks up where “Athena” left off, with a thumping classic rock beat and goosebump-inducing vocals.
“Find The Beautiful” – a lovely, classic rock ballad – starts off sweet and acoustic, builds to a crescendo. Expect to hear this someday soon on a Plush arena tour!
And I, I won’t surrender my soul
It may get broken but
I’m still whole
Inside I know
If I keep this tunnel vision
I’m not rеally livin’
Not gonna give in to the dark
The only thing that mattеrs
Is that this vision shatters
And the darkness breaks apart to
Find the beautiful
“Barracuda” – Plush pays tribute to this classic by Heart – and Moriah’s prodigious vocalization holds up against the amazing Ann Wilson’s. All the while, Moriah’s cover pays Ms. Wilson the props she deserves.
“Left Behind” closes the set, full of rock ‘n’ roll defiance and heavy as hell. Bella adds a sharp edge to the song with a sweet solo on her Ibanez.
You love to hate us
You’ll never break us
Stand at the end of the line
We are the left behind, that won’t be left behind
“Hate” This expertly curated show ends with Plush’s most listened-to song on Spotify, “Hate”.
I hate that you hurt me
I’Il take what you’ve done
But I hate everything about you
I hate myself for hanging on
Hate myself for hanging on
Despite the profoundly sad words, and the title itself, this tune sends the crowd off with nothing but love for Plush.
Individually and as a band, Plush has the musical chops, confidence, and stage presence of a band that’s been playing together and in front of audiences a lot longer than they have. They have the kind of “secret sauce” that should bring fans back again and again-Plush are badass rockers with charisma to spare. Finally, it’s hard to ignore the sheer joy all four members display – there’s nowhere they’d rather be at the moment than on that stage, playing great music, melting faces. As described on the official website:
Plush is a rock band with a mission to bring rock back to the forefront of the music industry. The band is composed of talented young women…whose accomplishments and talent eclipse their age.
Happily, since they are indeed a young band made up of young musicians, we can hope for a lot of great music to come.
Photography by Jonathan Lane
https://www.photographer-jonathan-lane.com/home
Plush – “Find the Beautiful” Tour – Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ – April 26, 2024
Set List
1.Athena
2.Champion
3.Run
4.Kill The Noise
5.Sober
6.Walk Away
7.Find The Beautiful
8.Better Off Alone
9.Barracuda
10.I Don’t Care
11.Tidal Wave
12.Will Not Win
13.Hope It Hurts
14.Left Behind
Encore
15.Hate
For a complete listing of tour dates and more information, visit: https://www.plushrocks.net/
