SPILL LIVE REVIEW: MOLCHAT DOMA w/ SEXTILE @ HISTORY, TORONTO

MOLCHAT DOMA w/ SEXTILE

@ HISTORY, TORONTO

February 19, 2025

Molchat Doma, one of the most interesting new wave, post-punk bands to emerge in the past decade brought their instantly recognizable style to Toronto. Fresh off the release of Live At Panorama Hotel, fans got a tease of live renditions of a select few songs and were eager to hear more.

Opening the show were L.A.’s party provokers, Sextile, who instantly turned History into a punk raver’s delight. Their high energy was infectious and brought dance moves out of patrons that didn’t know they had it in them. Latex, leather, and fishnets were stretched to their max while vocalist Brady Keehn climbed down to the barrier to join fans throughout the show.

He would trade vocal duties with bandmate Melissa Scaduto but they came together for “Crash” which was a nice melodic break from the more bass heavy songs and a flex to show off the band’s versatility.

“Abortion Rights Now” was written on a flag held in Scaduto’s hands as she walked across the stage waving it to loud and supportive applause which concluded their set.

Molchat Doma took the stage one member at a time with small red rectangles backlighting them as they eased into the first track “Kolesom.” The band proceeded to play multiple songs off their newest album Belaya Polosa as frontman Egor Shkutko danced provocatively but very appropriately. He removed his jacket and his performance became more and more enthralling with each tune, almost as if there was no audience in front of him.

The band has also curated some extended intros to certain songs like “Discoteque” which made for a more immersive experience as it kept classic songs fresh and unique. They are able to play to the dancefloor and show off their impressive arsenal of synthesizers and drum machines with precision. They come off as both cold and passionate in their performance which is reflected in their sound and makes them stand out from other acts.

After their set they followed up with an impressive and very satisfying encore that even included a brief cover of The Cure. A very fitting ending, and maybe some day a band will end their set with a cover of Molchat Doma 30 years from now.

(Photography by Jacob Vandergeer)

Molchat Doma Photos

Sextile Photos

Molchat Doma Links

Sextile Links