Photos: Joaquin Cabello

SAN FRANCISCO − WHY? explored the new sounds of its latest album, Moh Lhean, at the Fillmore on Thursday, alongside an energetic set from Mister Heavenly and soulful Florist.

Immediately commanding the stage as the lights went out, WHY? started its headlining set with one of its oldest songs, “Bad Entropy,” and garnered a thunderous cheer from the packed crowd. With music that walks the line between slam poetry and indie techno, WHY?’s set was full of electronic control boards, guitars and a bass so loud it shook the bottles at the bar.

The band played a wide variety of songs from its studio albums, including the familiar “Crushed Bones,” while also introducing newer songs like “This Ole King” and “Proactive Evolution,” off Moh Lhean. The New album did not overly dominate the setlist, and in fact, some of WHY?’s oldest songs, such as “These Few Presidents,” stood out the most. Can’t go wrong with the classic crowd-pleasers.

Old-fashioned lightbulbs were attached to the drum kit, a keyboard and the electronic components on-stage, which provided a beautiful accompaniment to the music. The lights would flash and glow in unison with the beat.

Mister Heavenly

With a set full of fan favorites and new tunes, the band filled the venue with storytelling and a clearly apparent evolution of sound. While it was evident which songs were from the same era, no song felt out of place in a setlist that covered a span of 12 years. WHY? controlled the stage with its thought-provoking lyrics while simultaneously engaging the audience in a history of the band’s work.

The night started with a touching set by Florist, a quirky pair that balanced powerful, heartbreaking lyrics with airy guitars and complementary electronica. The duo’s seven-song set consisted of songs from 2016 album The Birds Outside Sang, as well as its most recent album, If Blue Could Be Happiness. In a performance that lead singer Emily Sprague labeled as having a “green-tea-sedated but also uplifted feeling,” Florist gave the audience a smooth opening.

Florist

Second to the plate was Mister Heavenly, which picked up where Florist left off and turned up the energy in the room. Accompanied by a plastic skeleton and a disco ball, the band played a barrage of songs from 2017 album Boxing the Moonlight, as well as a few older selections. Tunes like “Beat Down” and “Hammer Drop” filled the room with grandiose electric guitar riffs and heavy drumming. Others like “Crazy Love, Vol. III” and “Charlyne” showed the band’s more vulnerable side and offered an insight into its more love-focused, heartfelt lyrics.

Mister Heavenly played a 12-song set, keeping the crowd entertained throughout with anecdotes about bad haircuts in L.A. and crazy theories that the band members promised to share at the merch table afterward.

Follow writer Piper Westrom at Twitter.com/plwestrom. Follow photographer Joaquin Cabello at Instagram.com/joaquinxcabello.