Swervedriver Celebrates 35 Years of Raise at The Atlantis
Oxford, UK, shoegaze pioneers Swervedriver headlined The Atlantis in Washington, DC, on August 26, celebrating the 35th anniversary of their 1991 debut album, Raise, a landmark record that remains one of the genre’s defining releases.
One of the first times I saw Swervedriver was at the old 9:30 Club on F Street NW — the elder sibling, in a sense, of The Atlantis — on Jan. 23, 1992, for the band’s first Washington, DC, show. Thinking back, though, I believe I was fortunate enough to catch them in the UK sometime in 1990 or 1991. Other shoegaze legends and peers, including fellow Oxford band Ride, My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive, were taking off around the same time, and I happened to be in the UK to experience some of it firsthand.
Needless to say, I was just happy to be here.
Raise has remained one of my go-to albums whenever I want to immerse myself in Swervedriver’s heavy, swirling guitars, layers of effects, and the beautiful weight of bass and drums beneath Adam Franklin’s dreamy, melancholic vocals. Franklin and guitarist Jimmy Hartridge are the remaining original members, joined by drummer Mikey Jones and bassist Mick Quinn of Supergrass.
Chicago dream-pop band Soft Fiction opened the evening before Swervedriver took the stage.
When I arrived at The Atlantis, the mostly older crowd seemed subdued, but there was a quiet exuberance underneath the pre-show chatter. Fans like me, who have kept Raise in constant rotation for decades, were collectively anticipating roughly 45 minutes of pure sonic bliss. At the merch table, I chatted with fans who had traveled from Richmond, Virginia, and even farther away, which made me feel especially fortunate that I did not have nearly as far to go.
The evening began with the haunting theme from Twin Peaks, David Lynch’s trailblazing 1990 surreal mystery series, composed by Angelo Badalamenti. I was also photographing the show, so I positioned myself accordingly, DSLR in hand. Behind the instruments, a screen displayed the series’ iconic black-and-white chevron pattern, with the Swervedriver logo hovering above it.
As the band walked onstage, the screen shifted into the colors of Raise: sky blue, sunshine yellow, and sandy orange. The crowd waited eagerly for the first notes.
“Sci-Flyer” began with authority, and Franklin leaned into the microphone to sing.
Nothing.
Franklin stopped as The Atlantis staff quickly tracked down an unplugged microphone cable near Hartridge’s Marshall half-stack and Vox AC30 setup. Someone in the crowd shouted, “JUST PLAY IT AGAIN!”
Franklin smiled.
“It’s my own fault for not saying good evening,” he joked.
Then they started again.
Watch Swervedriver perform “Sci-Flyer” live for Moschcam on YouTube:
From there, Swervedriver performed Raise in full and uninterrupted. “Son of Mustang Ford” remains one of the album’s quintessential bangers: thunderous, commanding, and exhilarating. Fan favorite “Rave Down” had the crowd swaying beneath the bluish-green wash of the stage lights.
“Feel So Real” and “Sandblasted” sounded enormous, while the gentle fade-ins and fade-outs, coupled with the hypnotic reverse-reverb textures of “Lead Me Where You Dare…,” closed the album portion of the set as lovingly as it does on record.
The encore pulled from across Swervedriver’s career.
It began with “Juggernaut Rides,” the B-side to the 1990 “Son of Mustang Ford” single, while “Out” and “Flawed” reached back to the 1991 Sandblasted EP. Ejector Seat Reservation was represented by “The Birds,” and 1998’s 99th Dream contributed “How Does It Feel to Look Like Candy?”
Much of the encore, however, came from the band’s acclaimed second album, Mezcal Head. “MM Abduction” and the colossal “Never Lose That Feeling/Never Learn” kept the crowd moving as Swervedriver piled layer upon layer of guitar into The Atlantis.
The night ended with the band’s breakthrough single, “Duel.”
Franklin’s infectious vocal melodies cut through the heavy, whammy-driven guitar drones, while Hartridge, Quinn, and Jones pushed alongside him with equal force. It was a glorious ending to a night built around memory, volume, and a record that has lost little of its power after 35 years.
Watch the official music video for “Duel” by Swervedriver on YouTube:
The crowd left thoroughly sated, ears ringing, and, in my case, grateful once again to have been there.
Swervedriver continue their USA tour on the West Coast beginning December 10 in Pioneertown, California.
Here are some photos of Swervedriver — and opener Soft Fiction — performing live at The Atlantis on August 26, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Nalinee Darmrong.
