Heavy, gray clouds hung over Asheville’s Orange Peel last Thursday, but that didn’t stop the line to see Deux Visages and Mannequin Pussy from twisting around the block. Even in the oppressive humidity, the excitement was palpable. Passersby making their way through downtown Asheville craned their heads up at the sign billing the show as SOLD OUT.
By the time Deux Visages took the stage inside, the venue was packed and energy was high. As soon as the first note hit, cheers filled the room. Fans at the barricade eagerly nodded to the beat, their eyes trained on lead vocalist Daphney Hanono as she took her first spin across the stage.
Deux Visages are hypnotic live. The second song in their set, “Cheetah,” was the first song they released as a band in 2023. In it, Homono’s vocals weave between a strong, steady bass line and a light and airy guitar riff. Fans obviously perked up at the title of this song, cheering to indicate at least a few of them were familiar. Whether or not they knew the words, though, the rhythm was undeniable.
Another highlight from their set was their performance of “Cut Bangs,” off their Catch 22 EP from November of last year. Featuring another killer bass line from Tony Jouvin, “Cut Bangs” is a more upbeat track in the form of a manic cry for help. “Should I see someone or should I cut my bangs?” Homono cries out – a refrain many of us know all too well, and one that clearly connected with the audience in the room. The way that Homono let the music move through her as she performed made it difficult to resist dancing along
The band chose to end their set with “Tethered,” another song off of Catch 22 and a perfect set closer. “Tethered” is the kind of song that builds as it goes along, picking up steam as the drums drive on through the song’s largely instrumental final minute. In a packed club, as the guitars ramped up and the beat pounded on, audience members cheered all the way at the back of the room. With your eyes closed, you could feel the bass in the floor, and the movement of the entire crowd. It was the perfect high to end a set on, and it left a fair number of fans heading straight for the Deux Visages merch table once they walked offstage.
Once Mannequin Pussy took the stage that night, it was almost impossible to look away. Through songs and speeches alike, vocalist Missy Dabice held the crowd in the palm of her hand. At one point, she led the entire crowd in a primal scream, a time-honored tradition of Mannequin Pussy shows. New and old fans alike joined together in a raw shriek of shared anger – the one thing Missy believes brings their audience together.
At least in my case, my chest felt a little bit lighter as I left the venue that night. There is, as Dabice acknowledged, an awful lot of work to do in the world we live in. Thankfully, spaces like that show at The Orange Peel give us all a chance to blow off the worst of the steam so we can channel our anger productively once we step outside again – and if you need to keep channeling it away from others, you can always scream along to “Cut Bangs” in your car.
Find Deux Visage on Instagram, X, and Tiktok (all @deuxvisagesband), and you can find Mannequin Pussy on Instagram or X (both @mannequinpussy).
All photos appear courtesy of Fox Nichols for Honorable Mention Magazine.
