There are certain bands I travel anywhere in the world to see. (I’m looking at you, The Weakerthans). Luckily, one of those bands is based out of Portland, Ore. and taking the train down from Seattle didn’t take much effort. Divers are one of those bands that flew way under the radar. When I saw them in Arizona in 2014, I knew very little about the band, and, honestly, probably just went to see Phoenix locals Dogbreth. That show wasn’t very well attended but I can guarantee that every single person in the room was blown away by the explosion of energy and sweat of Divers’ set.
Since their 2015 album Hello Hello came out, I have worn it out on my turntable. Tracks effortlessly flow into one another—from slow and meandering, to fast, gigantic singalongs. I lovingly refer to it as punk’s response to the Arcade Fire’s album Funeral. Their set in Portland exceeded expectations. That set in Ariz. was legendary in my mind and I was concerned this time would not carry the same weight. Playing to a dark bar packed full of punks, they carried us all with an unbeatable fury without missing a note.
The best part about writing this is that that later today, I’m driving down to see them again in Olympia, Wash. Seeing Divers twice in a month after many years of waiting—what a fucking treat!