Eye On the Bat, Palehound’s recently released banger of an album, is all about being humbled and heartbroken against the background of the pandemic. A uniquely personal album, it’ll be powerful to hear the El Kempner-led band live at Union Stage. “I really just want people to walk away from our show with more tools to reflect on things in their own personal lives,” Kempner tells City Paper. “That’s what a really great show does for me as an audience member. It not only inspires me creatively, but inspires me to look at my life through a new lens, and feel less alone in my experiences.” Eye On the Bat is the band’s first full-length album since 2019, meaning they had the entire pandemic to develop and hone this album. “My favorite part of being a musician is playing shows, and I’ve been dying to express this set of songs that way since I first demoed them out,” says Kempner. “Getting to play these songs live also gives my bandmates and I the opportunity to rearrange them a bit. Some of the live versions are much heavier than they were recorded.” Palehound play at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Union Stage. unionstage.com. $20–$40. —Serena Zets
Palehound, Oct. 21
