NITE played a sold-out show at The Milestone (on a Sunday night!) in Charlotte, NC. Feyleux and Idol Talk opened, DJ Spider supported, and we were there to tell you about it.
It’s been a big year for NITE. Their self-titled album released last October, to enormous acclaim, and has become one of my go-to’s when I’m looking to explain what excites me so much about modern darkwave. The highs are properly high, the lows are properly low. Slower, more brooding tracks like “Easy” and “End in Tears” are able to exist in perfect balance alongside the high-tempo energy of “Our Light Will Never Die.”
I missed NITE last time they came to town in early 2025—the crowd wasn’t big for that show, but I knew this time would be different. I got my tickets early and wasn’t surprised to see the SOLD OUT notification a week in advance.
Idol Talk
The Milestone was already almost full, and the energy was high as Idol Talk took the stage. They’re a three-piece band from Carrboro, featuring a great mix of 80s synths, bass and guitar. I’ve seen them open for a range of different bands, and they’re an excellent pick every time—as an opener you want someone who can engage the crowd right away, and it never takes Idol Talk more than a single song to get things going. By the second song, vocalist Tom Sowders was already walking around the audience, dancing with folks and taking phones for selfies and video.
But it’s not just the stage presence—Idol Talk has real music chops to back up the fun. Eric Mann on guitar and Josh Gaines on bass stayed active and moving, balancing their moments with Tom’s vocals and taking center stage to cut through the synths and deliver some memorable moments. The show included an excellent cover of Pet Sematary and ended with a debut performance of a new song, which the audience seemed to really love. I’m eagerly on the lookout for the next release from Idol Talk, and you should be too! You’ll be able to find it at the official Idol Talk Bandcamp when it releases.
Feyleux
Feyleux was up next. I’ve written about Feyleux a few times before, and there’s a good reason for that: I’ll see them whenever they come to town, no matter who they play with. What’s so special about Laurelei and Erica is that they’ve toured all over the country, but they’re also the band you can rely on to effortlessly dial in the perfect energy for your show. Their catalog has fast upbeat songs, slow dreamy songs, rock, synth, and everything in between. And as I mentioned in the past self show write-up, they’re totally capable of tailoring what they’re playing to the specific lineup, as they did here—Laurelei delivering a haunted, emotional performance followed shortly by Erica absolutely shredding with a guitar solo.
This is a band who knew exactly what Idol Talk and NITE were doing and positioned themselves firmly centered in the best combination of “two people really having a great time on stage” and “spooky incantations and spellcraft live on stage.” A few tracks from their excellent recent EP “Phases” along with ANOTHER unreleased song kept things in a lush, theatrical space.
NITE
NITE (Bandcamp) didn’t waste any time proving why the show sold out. I’ll start by saying that this was one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. Twins Kyle Mendes (vocals, bass, synths) and Myles Mendes (vocals, guitar, synths) immediately launched into the confident swagger of “Oblivion” and had the crowd going from the very first second. With the matching suits, the fog, and the onstage antics of NITE, I almost felt like I was watching the prom band from hell. Phil Helms (Uncle Phil) kept things moving with outstanding live drums, occasional vocal backup and an incredible mustache.
There are a few bands that do great duet vocals, but (and maybe it’s the Twin Energy) NITE nails it in a very rare way—not just synced harmonization, but Kyle running up to do a high vibrato while Myles delivers a warm monotone to fill things in. The two have seemingly endless energy, and it almost feels like a shell game at times—one twin will dart into center stage to do a solo and then drop back just as quickly while the other twin hops in. Similar to Idol Talk earlier, they delivered a cover of The Cure’s “Burn” that encapsulated what I love about a cover: an understanding of the original song paired with the skill to make it unmistakably their own. It’s released as a single—go listen to it here on their official YouTube if you haven’t!
Behind the Night
I’d be remiss to not mention DJ Spider keeping up the vibe between sets—she crushed it, as always. Her whole set is up here on Mixcloud. If you heard NITE and were like “wow, I want to know more about what’s going on here,” then this should be your next stop. Thanks also to Jake Woodard of Welcome to the Family! Welcome to the Family is a promoter to watch and their shows never disappoint. Credit also to Xaq Fixx for the excellent photography.