Philadelphia’s own They Are Gutting a Body of Water, most lovingly abbreviated by fans as “TAGABOW,” is finally on a long-haul tour across the United States to promote their fifth studio album, LOTTO, which was released on October 17th.
The new work boasts 10 fleshed-out tracks that explore a new direction for TAGABOW, with some notably memorable elements of spoken word on their track “american food.” LOTTO received largely positive reviews even from one of the most staunchly critical outlets, and loyal supporters of the humble four-piece band packed the walls of Club Dada on an otherwise mundane November evening.
Everybody wanted to see Philly’s pride and joy play their new tunes; it’s a rare treat to see TAGABOW play in the South, partially due to booking being a challenge in this region of the US. For this reason, fans were ecstatic to see Houston, Austin, and Dallas dates on this run’s tour flyer.
Garnering a cult following to revere them as the East Coast’s most influential shoegaze band of the 2020s, TAGABOW is a quartet consisting of singer and guitarist Douglas Dulgarian, bassist Emily Lofing, guitarist P.J. Carroll, and drummer Benjamin Opatut. Dulgarian and his associates are largely responsible for the major grunge and shoegaze revival taking over Western music right now. While forming TAGABOW and other side projects like Jouska, Dulgarian went on to create an independent label now known as Julia’s War. Julia’s War represents other artists in the same vein as TAGABOW, such as Wednesday, Her New Knife, Glixen, and MJ Lenderman. Think grungy, melodic, eclectic sounds that largely take after the 90s underground rock scene, but still manage to reinvent it with a modern, refreshing twist.
Safe to say, Dulgarian’s efforts have arguably impacted music for good: Over the past six years, Julia’s War’s roster has built up an impressive roster of personnel and has positively impacted communities, all while TAGABOW continues to dazzle audiences with their organic ethos. And for this evening, TAGABOW does just that, along with a stacked bill of equally talented artists: Austin-based Stab and Lafayette-based Cashier.
Stab has been a local favorite of the Texas grungegaze scene for years; their debut album, Quarter Life Crisis, boasts notably recognizable tracks such as “Left 2 Dry” and “Corporate Stooge.” On stage, the four-piece ensemble—composed of DJ Karp, Daniel Powell, Christian Apodaca, and Christian Haft—exudes a cool, well-rehearsed demeanor. Powell’s masterful drumming, accompanied by Apodaca’s and Haft’s captivating guitars, harmoniously backs Karp’s dynamic vocals as they energetically play a thorough 30-minute set.
Despite being an opening act for this tour, Stab’s resounding star power during their performance paints them more as a headliner rather than a minor part of the show. The same sentiment goes towards Cashier, another quartet of similar talent and captivating stage presence.
Unlike Stab’s slacker rock flavor, however, Cashier veers towards a more hardcore sound, a stylistic choice that still meshes well with the tastes of TAGABOW’s crowd. All in all, the beginning of this long evening was marked with excellent performances.
As TAGABOW finally ascended to the stage, fans lined up against the tiny perimeter of the raised steps, eager to get a closer look at the group’s visually appealing setup. Known for strictly playing in a circular formation, with Dulgarian’s back turned against the crowd, TAGABOW’s performances are anything but run of the mill. Even down to their individual choices of fashion, all members exhibit clear stylistic differences, yet they manage to successfully unite musically. During performances, Lofing is known for wearing eccentric, towering platforms and eye-catching accessories, while Dulgarian prefers wearing basketball sneakers or Timberland boots paired with JNCO denim. Carroll and Opatut exude a Pacific Northwestern gorpcore style in their North Face windbreaker, medium-wash denim, and sneaker ensembles. The entire essence of the band is eclectic, down to the fashion choices of its members. For this reason, it’s one of the many attractive facets of TAGABOW: their performances are never formulaic, their personnel are not uniform, and their music is ever-changing and boundary-pushing. As the LOTTO tour advances to the EU and UK, They Are Gutting A Body of Water will continue to dazzle international audiences for months ahead; as of late 2025, some performance dates are already scheduled for May of 2026.
