FIGHTMASTER, the music project of non-binary actor and podcast host E.R. Fightmaster, performed at The Sinclair on May 26th. With their indie-rock sound, beautiful guitar riffs, and a silky, rich voice, This memorable performance was filled with gay tension (or maybe that was the crowd.)
If you’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy, or listened to the podcast Jockular, then you are likely familiar with E.R. Fightmaster. What you might not know is that they have their own music project, FIGHTMASTER, a stylized version of their last name.
The opener for the night was Australian singer-songwriter Gordi, who kicked off her set by asking the audience: “Who likes sad gay music?!” An accurate description of her sound. Her layered vocals and resounding bass pierced the air, perfect for crying in your bedroom on the floor over a doomed situationship. Her music perfectly set the vibe for the night.
FIGHTMASTER’s performance started well before their first song. The crowd was loud with excitement before the stage lights even turned on. The set began with the track “Violence” from their 2023 EP of the same name. From the opening guitar lick, there was a beautiful tension in the air as the crowd waited for the drums to kick in. This song felt like the beginning of an old western shootout, unsure of who would give in first. When the rest of the band joined in, the whole room erupted; the applause only got louder when E.R. Fightmaster nailed the final belt of the song. When this first song ended, Fightmaster requested for the house lights to be turned up so that they could see all of the people in the crowd. Their eyes landed on a sign that said “Give us one horny minute” – which is a reference to their podcast – and told the audience they hoped to give us “one horny hour”.
From the beginning of the night, it was clear that the band was excited for the setlist. The guitarist (Patrick Dean) was constantly moving around on stage, playing to the drummer (April Lee), the keyboardist (Nick Gage), or to Fightmaster themselves. Lee got their own moment to shine – as someone in the crowd exclaimed, “The drummer is amazing!” E.R. Fightmaster took that as an opportunity to shower her in praise. Gage held it down on the keyboard, and his friends were in the crowd cheering especially loud. Their collective energy and enthusiasm for their music made the whole night even more memorable.
FIGHTMASTER has released several EP’s over the last few years. Their newest album dropped earlier this week on June 5th. The Boston crowd was electric as they were treated to the three released singles from this new album. The first single, “All or Nothing”, made for a soft, emotional performance and allowed Fightmaster’s low, smooth vocals to truly shine. Their second single “Quicksand”, was one of the best performances of the night, featuring an epic guitar solo and an energetic beat. A song about how the wounds of past relationships are present in their current partnership, “Quicksand”, required Fightmaster to be vulnerable with the crowd, which made for a deeper relationship between them and the listeners. The last of the three singles, “Glide”, was played toward the end of the night, and encapsulated the energy that Fightmaster said they would deliver. This track is sonically different from a lot of their other music, featuring a heavier bass line and sticky drums, but thematically aligns with the rest of their discography. The climax of the song came with a driving electric guitar riff and a beautiful harmonic belt by the singer.
The highlight of the evening, however, was Fightmaster’s incredible stage presence. As an actor and host of their own podcast, they were clearly comfortable with themselves in front of a crowd. In between each song they made a joke or complimented their touring band. When they had a sound issue with their guitar they wagged their finger telling the audience to wait, as they pointed at their guitar and said, “you’re going to want this to be on.” When the time for the encore approached, Fightmaster warned the audience that there would be “A moment in this show where we’re required to pretend we’re leaving, but I have a hard time because it’s embarrassing.” After two more songs, the band left the stage, but Fightmaster took their time slowly swaggering towards the exit, pausing to pose and look back at the audience. They left the stage for a total of three seconds before they strutted back with the band in tow. The caliber of the musicians was not only apparent in the quality of the sound and the technicality with which they played, but also in the excitement on their faces for the opportunity to be there that night. FIGHTMASTER’s enthusiasm created a feedback loop between the musicians and the audience that fueled the energy of the night and left the crowd on a high of queer joy. Make sure to check out their newest album, Tolerance, to feel it yourself.