05.15.2026: The Sheila Divine @ Middle Ages w/s/g Endearments and The Flashing Astonishers

Syracuse was jumping Friday night for music lovers. Wheatus was at the Song & Dance, Alter Bridge was at the Landmark, and The Sheila Divine was at Middle Ages, and The Syracuse seen was there! The Sheila Divine may be from Boston, but New York had strong representation as both openers were from New York, with Endearments hailing from NYC and Syracuse's own The Flashing Astonishers repping the 315.

It was an intimate night at Middle Ages, and the night was bookended by 90's rock filled the air. Local shoegaze mainstays The Flashing Astonishers led off, playing a roughly hour long set. Evidence of their longevity and connection to the Syracuse music scene was on display, as the crowd that showed up for their set was pretty much the crowd for the whole show, and former bandmates were attendance. At one point their former bass player, and current Middle Ages sound engineer, Dave King joined them on stage to help out with some backing vocals.

Holding down the middle slot was was the NYC trio Endearments. Their set was full of songs blurring lines between synthpop and indie rock. This was definitely not a lineup for moshing, nor a crowd radiating electric energy, but the crowd did respond positively with heads nodding and bodies swaying along. For a trio, their sound was pleasantly full and complex. Their sound is very reminiscent of 80's new wave, in spite the lack of synth keyboards on stage. Atmoshpheric swells were coaxed into existence by tapping instruments and cranked reverb, only to be replaced by synth vibes and guitars, pushed ever forward by insistent the basslines, with lead singer Kevin Marksson's gentle and slightly breathy voice over top. Babies could be made to this music.

Bringing everything home was headliners The Sheila Divine. Their performance belies their age as a band. Listening to their set, one could be excused for not realizing they've been at it since 1997. Front man Aaron Perrino's voice soars from his full range from conversational to falsetto, it croons and screams, each in turn like a teen in their prime. Their songs challenge the quotidian rat race lives we live, and their lyrics are proving ageless. 2001's Countryman with its opening verse, and 1999's Automatic Buffalo are as fresh and challenging to the status quo today as had they been written and released just this week. To have seen them live this week wasn't an exercise in nostalgia, it was to see a band whose music deserves traction with a fresh audience.

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