Manchester Orchestra's The Stuffing XI @ Fox Theatre

After releasing their brilliant new album, A Million Masks Of God, Manchester Orchestra finally got back on the road closing their latest tour with the 11th Annual The Stuffing at the Fox Theatre – Manchester Orchestra’s yearly hometown show alongside many friends.

Releasing their sixth studio album, A Million Masks Of God, in April via Loma Vista Recordings, there was still no guarantee at the time that the band would be able to tour this year, which would have been a real shame. While the band has built it’s reputation through the studio albums, Manchester Orchestra excels as a live band as they have become one of the best rock and roll bands going today. And this new critically acclaimed new album needed to be heard live this year. And what a better way to experience these new songs live, than their own annual hometown shindig, essentially a mini festival featured a lot of their good friends who just happen to also be talented buzz worthy indie bands.

With The Stuffing not able to happen in 2020 because of the pandemic, you knew this year would be a good one alongside a big and bold new album. Kicking off The Stuffing XI was Paris Jackson. Yes, Michael Jackson’s daughter. She released a single in May called “adagio” with her friends Manchester Orchestra. Andy Hull also played on her 2020 debut album. Next up was Slothrust, another hot indie rock band out of Boston who brought a huge rock sound to the Fox Theatre.

After those two came a really hot newcomer Briston Maroney. Originally from Knoxville and now based in Nashville, Maroney only released his debut album Sunshine in April of this year after previously releasing some EPs over the last few years. With a big stadium sized indie rock sound mixed more tradition folk rock and heartfelt lyrics, it was easy to see live at the Fox Theatre why Briston Maroney‘s star is rising.

After Briston Maroney came Foxing, which is basically like a second headliner for Manchester Orchestra fans and vice versa. Foxing out of St. Louis, Missouri, has always felt like a kindred spirit to Manchester, though they go about their approach in a different way with more math and art rock amongst other influences. The one thing they are consistent about is putting on a great live show, this set behind their own fourth studio album, Draw Down the Moon, released August 6th via Hopeless Records. It was the perfect lead in to the Manchester Orchestra set….

Yet there was one more artist to go, this time Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf. So this was a change of pace. While his song lyrics fit in nicely around the other artists, there is a more mellow vibe to the singer-songwriter even with a full band. And that’s damn okay when you are talking about someone like Shauf. First winning hearts in Canada, over the last few years he’s become somewhat of an underground legend here in the US also, especially over his last few albums 2016’s The Party and 2020’s The Neon Skyline, plus his other work as Foxwarren. There’s a certain level of psychedelic undertones alongside the groovy trance he brings the audience. It was real, real nice.

And then came Manchester Orchestra to close the night with their hometown people. Well it wasn’t just Atlanta people, we met people that came in from Arkansas, Texas, and other states for this show. But yeah, there was a lot of friends in the house. Lots of people who have been with this band since the beginning. With concerts still feeling somewhat “new” again, and The Stuffing (amongst many many many live concerts last year) not able to go forward last year, well this was a set that every single person in that building needed. And like Manchester Orchestra always does, they delivered.

Starting the set off by playing the first four songs off the new album in order, “Inaudible”, “Angel of Death”, “Keel Timing” and “Bed Head”, it felt like the band may just power straight through the whole new album. And honestly, I would have been more than okay with it. In my opinion, The Million Masks Of God, ranks as one of the top two albums of 2021, if not my top of the year. It’s that good.

You know how you go to concerts where bands that have been around for a while play their newer songs, and that’s when a big portion of the audience kinds of zones out? Yeah not at this one, those first four songs might as well of been classics, everyone knew the words, and the “photo pit” during those first three songs the ground was shaking like I’ve never felt when trying to shoot. I’m pretty sure no one else would have minded either if they just played through the new album. It felt good. And that’s also a sign of a damn good album.

After the first four, the band mixed in classics pulling heavily from their most recent albums. “The Gold”, “The Alien”, “The Sunshine”, “Dinosaur”, “The Internet”, and more before closing their initial set with the stunning single “Telepath” off the latest album. The band was just cranking out hit after hit and the crowd was right there, fists in the air, singing along.

After a very brief break, the band came out for their encore, putting a cap on how nice it was to be back at the Fox Theatre for The Stuffing. Kicking off the encore with the high energy “Shake It Out”, this was just another chance for the band and audience to get it all out. Finally, after playing “100 Dollars” to a singing audience, Manchester Orchestra closed the night with a euphoric version of “The Silence” where seemingly every guitarist in the house came out to help shut things down. This show is why we love live music. This is the release we needed. This is what we missed for at least a year and a half. Let’s never do that again. I can’t live without nights like these. Thank Manchester Orchestra and Friends.

Check out photos below from The Stuffing XI at Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA on Friday, November 19th, all photos by Mike Gerry:

BRISTON MARONEY