Nacho Was There In Spirit

Haunting Titans
Connecticut Old State House
Hartford
Sept. 17, 2024

Audio Feed, the free concert series hosted at the Old State House every Tuesday and Wednesday, is a great way to find new bands in a new element. That’s how I came across Haunting Titans, a band that got its start in New Haven.

Haunting Titans is a self-proclaimed “psychedelic band” whose shows are more of a theatrical experience than the stripped-down acoustic stylings of the outdoor concerts. Lead singer Sarah Murphy said that at their shows you could go from dancing to headbanging at a moment’s notice.

“This is the polar opposite of what we normally do,” Johnny Bojanowski, the group’s lead guitarist, told me.

But you couldn’t tell as Bojanowski, joined by Murphy and bassist Luke Lantagne, sat beneath the telltale orange Audio Feed awning and performed for the downtown lunch crowd. Their eclectic fusion of genres and influences made for an entertaining and wide-ranging show.

The band played a few covers, but where the music really soared was when Haunting Titans played their original music. One song I really enjoyed was “Opium,” which lamented the singer’s attraction to people who are no good for her. We’ve all been in that situation, when we believe that there’s some magic fix right around the corner that will turn something toxic into something soothing. Murphy captured that feeling with the rawness of her voice, matter-of-factly crooning about the relationship that’s destroying her.

The band continued the theme of relationships gone bad with the funk-inspired “I Don’t Remember Much.” The harmony between Bojanowski and Murphy on the chorus was a distinct contrast to “Opium.” The star of the song was Lantagne’s bassline. It gave the otherwise somber song a sense of energy and fun, encapsulating the contradictory feeling of being in love with someone you don’t really like.

For the last song of the set, it was Bojanowski’s turn to strut his stuff. The song “Pst” (pronounced like when you’re trying to discreetly get someone’s attention), featured his guitar playing. It was interesting to see how a guitarist who normally plays heavier music performs in a different setting. His strumming didn’t overpower Murphy’s voice, instead serving as an ornamentation for the rest of the music.

There was one other element of the show that was missing: the official mascot of the band, the chihuahua Nacho. He usually accompanies the band on stage; Murphy told me that he stayed home with grandma for this performance. Despite the change in style, venue and band makeup, Haunting Titans put on a great show for everyone who stepped out to enjoy the late September heat. And don’t worry, Nacho was there in spirit.