Chicago-based rock duo OHMME kicked off its U.S. tour at 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Bishop Bar with an abundance of electric guitar and vocal harmonies so synchronized they seemed computerized.
OHMME members Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart performed a setlist of old and new music, including “Apathy,” a new single Stewart said they released the day of the concert. They also played an unreleased song, the title of which they did not mention, to a room full of cheering fans.
The audience cheered especially loudly when Stewart hinted at releasing a new record in the near future.
“We’re not saying anything, but we probably have a new record coming out,” Stewart said. “We’re still learning how to play these songs so we’re going to practice on you.”
Moon Appleby, who became a fan after seeing OHMME perform live in July, discovered the duo's music through their work as backup vocalists for artists such as Chance the Rapper and Twin Peaks. He said he admires how the pair packages classically hard rock sounds into soft rock music.
“They start kind of soft, but they come in with a punch," Appleby said. "You don't expect it".
Throughout the duo's set, it was rare for one member to sing without the other. One audience member shouted “Yes, harmonies!” at the conclusion of an especially intricate cover of “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush, during which Stewart swapped her guitar for an electric violin.
“I love how they present themselves,” Appleby said. “You can tell they’re not only having fun, but they’re also good at what they do.”
Bob Tyler, an OHMME fan who traveled from Indianapolis to see the show, said he got hooked on the band by listening to its music on Spotify. When he saw the band would be performing just an hour away, he knew he had to make the drive to Bloomington to hear the signature harmonies in person.
“I’m a sucker for harmonies, and that’s kind of their thing,” Tyler said. “The instruments will cut away, and it’s just their voices. It’s pretty unique.”
As the notes of its final song faded, OHMME may have thought the show was over. The crowd, on the other hand, demanded an encore. The duo obliged by performing “Keep on Doing What You Do/Jerks on the Loose” by the Roches.
As people filed out of the bar, Zoë Martindale, a junior studying film studies at IU, said she thought the performance was transcendent because of OHMME’s ability to connect with the audience on an emotional level.
“There were some songs where you felt the exact emotions they were trying to convey, like missing someone or feeling lonely,” Martindale said. “It was sad-boy hours, but in the end you knew it would be OK.”
