Friko
The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA - March 8th, 2025
Photos by Megan Taylor (@meyghn)
Words by Maddy DuBois

Last night I saw a phenomenal performance by Chicago born-and-raised band Friko. I found Friko several months ago somewhere on Spotify. I was drawn in by their heartfelt semi cryptic lyrics and the overall familiarity. Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here, their most recent album, clad in a beautiful crimson red and a gold Cardinal pendant has a transformative touch to it. When I listen to these songs it’s suddenly early winter and I’m walking home in awe of the fluffy snowflakes falling down on the ground. It’s not too cold but maybe I’m just warm from the beautiful sight before me. I come home, tired from a long day, to a home bathed in lamp light. Someone is in the kitchen sautéing garlic and onions and I’ve never smelled something more decadent.

I firmly believe this is a winter album. Songs like “Get Numb to it!” and “Chemical” carry the angst of the hardship that winter and the end of the year brings. “Where We’ve Been” and “Crimson to Chrome” cut deep into the hearts of college kids yearning to go back home but being shackled by final exams and their shitty serving jobs. Niko and Bailey bring a sense of camaraderie to these feelings. We all may feel cold and lonely but we’re feeling it together.

This absolutely translates to their live performances. Niko’s performance of these songs is raw, heartfelt, and genuine.

Something I personally enjoyed in terms of stage set up was how Niko and his other two band mates were standing in a nearly straight line, rather than the other two guitarists standing behind Niko. I liked this because it revealed the band's chemistry so translucently. The boys, while each having their own style, move almost in sync. They moved as one rather than three separate musicians. The love for their music was evident and it only made me, an audience member, feel more in touch with the performance.

This show was short and sweet, ending around 10pm. Rather than an encore the band sprinted to the merch table to connect with fans after the show. All of this I love at a concert. I am a personal hater of encores and unless it’s a band I adore I would rather the show not drag on. At the end of the day I am a working class girl who loves live music but who also has to work the next morning.

This show was quite undersold and it was my first show at The Sinclair on the floor rather than in the balcony since it was closed off. Even though the crowd was small, even the two obnoxious drunk girls in front of me were transfixed by the band's performance. There were hardly any phones which I love to see and not many side conversations. The crowd was polite and for lack of better words the vibes were chill. It was how concerts should be: just people drinking beer and being entranced in good ass live music.