Margot fills Bishop with music, crowd

More people seemed to be walking away from The Bishop than into it as a sign in front of the venue Sunday read, “Sorry! Sold Out.” One girl who showed up to the venue a half hour before the show said to her group of friends, “It’s Margot. We should’ve known.”

Those who did manage to snag the sought-after tickets were happy they did so.

“I made sure to buy them over three weeks in advance," IU junior Alyssa Rudner said.

Rudner said she couldn’t get Margot’s onstage energy out of her head from the last time she saw the band at a show in Indianapolis.

“I was so psyched to see them live tonight,” Rudner said. “They’re such a different band even now than when I saw them not too long ago.”

Many audience members expressed the same thought, as it became a popular discussion topic to tell what version of Margot they had seen in the past.

The band has a reputation for being an evolving project as it switches members. Many seem to have come to the conclusion that it allows every Margot show to provide a different experience.

Lead singer Richard Edwards said the addition of different members contributes to the evolving sound as well. Though some criticize the change, Rudner said it’s only natural.

“I think there is always that fear that a band will be torn with the demands of a certain audience when they reach the popularity status that Margot has,” Rudner said. “But I don’t think Margot has compromised anything, and I don’t see them ever doing so.”

IU senior Andrew Waldron said he has attended several Margot shows and said he agreed with Rudner that the band hasn’t compromised anything.

“Their latest, ‘Buzzard,’ has been my favorite of their albums,” Waldron said. “I feel like it does exactly what the band originally wanted to do.”

Waldron’s comment ran parallel to Edwards as he explained how the latest album was “completely his personality” by exploring the grimy side of pop.  The only thing Waldron expressed missing was the previous keyboard player, Emily Watkins.

“She was cute, but I do have to admit that Cameron McGill has an amazing voice,” Waldron said. “This was the best show I have seen with the latest lineup.”

Waldron said the performance of “Freak Flight Speed” was by far his favorite song, and many seemed to agree as the packed audience danced in the limited space. Though some were evoked to move, the majority of the audience just went calmly along with
the lineup.

“Margot has this really chill, mellow feeling about them,” IU junior Corinne Schultz said.  

However, when the band announced its last song, the once-calm fans refused to leave and stomped the ground in demand for an encore.

Edwards said it was always a pleasure to play in Bloomington and recalled other memories like sneaking into Gentleman Caller shows when he was younger. The band opened for Margot, along with local favorite The Calumet Reel.

Gentleman Caller said it was an honor to play with Margot.

“I have been a fan of Margot for four years now, and seeing them play live is great,” Schultz said. “If you want tickets next time, all I can say is buy them early.”