Sebastian Murphy leads the Swedish band Viagra Boys in a performance at 9:30 Club on Feb. 13, 2023. (Photo by Casey Vock)
It’s natural to be offended or turned off by some of what’s been offered by musicians around the globe — in many cases, that’s the intention.
But if a listener abstains from everything that on first brush they might deem a mismatch, they could very well be missing out on the reward of discovering music they never knew existed and could have never expected to enjoy so much.
So, should a newcomer cast off Sweden’s Viagra Boys simply on account of the name, they might be fumbling an opportunity to be utterly blown away by the sass and strut of this undeniably amusing blend of sounds.
Kicking off what its marketing collateral dubs the “Shrimp City Beach 1993 Reunion Tour,” this sarcastic sextet from Stockholm rolled into a sold-out 9:30 Club the night of Feb. 13 to fittingly launch an ambitious run across the USA that will last into next month.
And with its stylishly finished mix of punk, blues, industrious funk, and a circling, maniacal ambience, Viagra Boys showed that, while it might not be for everybody, it is indeed a sinful treat for anyone willing to spend an evening in its company and especially for those who’ve been devoted fans of the group since it got its start in 2015.
Listen to Viagra Boys’ 2022 studio album, Cave World, recently rereleased in Deluxe format, via Spotify:
Viagra Boys have put out just three full studio albums in that time, but the band’s original members have certainly endured to make it this far — they’ve seen lineup changes and, sadly, one of the band’s founding members, Benjamin Vallé, passed away in 2021.
After hard-living and an ascension to prominence garnering fans all over the world, the current tour is seemingly showcasing a group that has matured from the flippant scorn of its early years to a more informed, sustainable, and even elegant mode of ridicule, one that might help it to make the most of the unique niche its created.
But still, the derisive spirit of the band has clearly lived on. Riding the reception of last year’s Cave World — rereleased last month in Deluxe format — the group seems to be primed to gain even more momentum in the studio and on the stage too, where it’s built a reputation as wildly entertaining dance parties — with moshing and crowd surfers on high — fueled by the antics of lead vocalist and co-founder Sebastian Murphy.
Murphy lived up to his reputation this past Monday night in DC, where he was clearly energized by the chance to make a statement in the nation’s capital. With a massive VB logo behind it, the band started the night in sync and forceful in delivering the overwhelming slam of the Cave World single “Ain’t No Thief.”
Hollering between swigs of beer and flying spit, Sebastian sounded and appeared uncontrolled but turned out to be perfectly angled in every way, meeting a riveting, metallic groove that quickly gained steam. And the group proclamation, a wide range of pitches, would add a peculiar soulfulness to so much of the presentation.
Watch the official music video for Viagra Boys’ 2022 single “Big Boy” via the band’s official YouTube channel:
A bionic, groovy, and discharging number, “Ain’t Nice” from the 2021 album Welfare Jazz chugged and pumped and made a convincing case for why this band is said to be evangelizing dance punk, art punk, and/or, even more intriguing, “cowpunk.” Murphy set his Modelo on the stage, worked his way to the photo pit and stood on the barricade to mix it up with ticketholders, some embracing and recording him with their phones, others losing their minds at the sight of his exposed plumber’s crack.
“This is our third time in Washington DC, and I can’t contain my excitement,” said Murphy, who’d shed the top half of an adidas track suit to reveal his tattoo-covered torso and arms. On his forehead: the Swedish word “lös,” which means loose.
The audience was flipping out, having waited around the block to get in close proximity to this talented group made up of Henrik Höckert on bass, Tor Sjödén on drums, Oscar Carls on saxophone (and more), Elias Jungqvist on keys, and the newest member as of 2021, Linus Hillborg on guitar.
Murphy, from behind black shades, told the dark room he actually attended high school in America and that he was the only guy there at the time who was into wearing tight pants, facetiously calling himself a “fucking loser,” but pointing out that he was called worse names by his former classmates.
“That’s why we’re all gathered here today, because we have bad self-esteem,” were his words to introduce the track “Punk Rock Loser,” one with which he has professed a love-hate relationship, himself acknowledging the enjoyment of a song that essentially plays directly into what the world might expect or even demand from a band such as this.
“Smart music for smart people,” he smirked Monday night.
And at 9:30 Club, this popular hit took the form of a sludge metal monstrosity, a triumphant spurn of so much of what this band set out against in its early goings — being told what to think, what to do, how to do it, and when.
Zany and ominous in sound and context, “Baby Criminal” was boosted by a steaming hot injection of brass, as Carls in particular proved to be so crucial to the harrowing sizzle and drive in numerous standout compositions, tracks that shake and shimmy with the apparent intention of making people move and having a grand old time while doing so.
Listen to Viagra Boys’ 2021 studio album, Welfare Jazz, via Spotify:
The advanced humor of the latest album — dark, frank, and astute — came through in additional new tracks like the fresh and freaky “Big Boy,” a disturbing and hilarious take on “Creepy Crawlers,” and the provocative and aerobic anti-conspiracy theorist, anti-gun lover tirade “Troglodyte.”
For the band’s breakthrough hit “Sports” from the 2018 premiere Street Worms, Murphy returned to the front of the crowd, firing it up with straightforward, baritone delivery in this comical, absurdly entertaining rock endeavor.
And after poking fun at the Superbowl — the “sourdough championships” — telling off our current president and mumbling something about knowing how to “play lacrosse,” Sebastian let this impressive band conduct its own thought-provoking take on the Star-Spangled Banner.
“There’s just no other band out there like them,” said one attendee.
“I think they represent everything that modern punk rock stands for,” said another as the band returned for its two-song encore. “They just go against everything that you think is normal.”
No fan of Viagra Boys seems to think of the group as a guilty pleasure. Rather, the band has, for so many, surfaced as refreshing and new while channeling a vintage resentful attitude that might feel more appropriate than ever before, when nothing is free of critique — and maybe for good reason.
Setlist
Ain’t No Thief
Ain’t Nice
Punk Rock Loser
Baby Criminal
Slow Learner
Big Boy
It Ain’t Enough
Cold Play (saxophone solo)
Creepy Crawlers
Liquids
Troglodyte
Sports
Star Spangle Banner remix
Shrimp Shack
Encore
Return to Monke
Worms
Here are images of Viagra Boys performing at 9:30 Club on Feb. 13, 2023. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Vock.
