Queef Jerky Throw a Party in LA for Final Stop of “Countrywide World Tour”
- Greg Poblete
- Jul 12, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 15, 2024
With a name like Queef Jerky, it's a given that a live performance is going to be outrageous—in the best way possible. The musical duo, consisting of Nicholas Green (@nickisnotgreen) and Devon Vonder Schmalz (@dev_lemons), ride a similar wave to 100 Gecs or JPEGMAFIA, with blaring instrumentals, cheeky lyrics, and tons of unabashed energy. They can be defined as pop music with elements of hip-hop, hyperpop, and even some industrial. Queef Jerky can't be pinned down, allowing themselves the space to artistically let loose and just have fun making whatever they want.
On Saturday, June 29th, 2024, Queef Jerky had their final show of the “Countrywide World Tour” with supporting act Godly the Ruler, and it was nothing short of a fun time. Around 9 PM, Godly the Ruler hit the stage with an accompanying live drummer and guitarist, bringing their angsty, alt-punk sound to its fullest potential. Fronted by Nigeria-born, Chicago-raised Godwill Oke, they immediately captured the crowd with explosive stage presence. The distorted, autotune vocals reminded me of Kevin Abstract’s latest project, Blanket, with an ode to ‘90s grunge music. The guitar added texture to every backing track as the drums provided the heartbeat. Godly’s energy was both abrasive and welcoming as they shouted “Free Palestine,” riled up a “Fuck Elon Musk” chant, and got everyone in the Lodge Room jumping up and down for most of their set.
Next up was the incomparable Queef Jerky, making a brilliant entrance. Nick, in an ominous black cloak, walked out on stage to dramatic music pumping through the speakers. Dev followed, wearing the best goth-inspired outfit possible, complete with spiked bracelets and dark eyeliner. Anyone unfamiliar with Queef Jerky would have been confused by their appearance in tandem with their music. However, the crowd at the Lodge Room was more than ready to experience the Queef.
With Nick behind the drums and Dev on lead vocals, the group was ready to lay it down. They started with "Liver" from their new record, Absolute Madness, a song that sounds like it was ripped right out of Yeezus, except with nonsensical bars. From the jump, it's apparent that Queef Jerky doesn’t take themselves too seriously. But just because they can be silly doesn’t mean they aren’t unequivocally talented musicians.
Nick channeled his best Anderson .Paak impression by playing the drums and rapping flawlessly throughout the entire show while Dev screamed, rapped, and got the crowd all riled up by jumping across the stage with nonstop dancing. The duo thrived off each other's energy as well as the crowd’s, and every single person in the audience showed so much love throughout their set. People were headbanging, singing along to every lyric, and at one point, the crowd began to chant “Queef,” which would be acceptable in less than a handful of other places.
As this was the final show of the tour, the group wanted to make it memorable with a few surprises. One of the best moments of the set was when they invited the openers, Godly the Ruler, to join them on stage to perform a few songs. With live guitars and Godwill’s additional verses, each Queef Jerky song they performed together felt like a refreshing, new tune. Godly the Ruler and Queef Jerky are an immaculate pairing, and it would be a blessing to hear more collaborations from these artists in the future.
The last surprise of the night was the premiere of a never-before-heard cover of “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO. On Dev’s YouTube channel, she has a series where she recreates popular songs without hearing any of the work she is doing. Though she has heard the songs previously, when she attempts to recreate them, the studio monitors are off, and Dev is unable to hear any notes or vocal takes until the final product is complete. The results are just as unhinged as you can imagine.
Queef Jerky took this concept and decided to make a cover song for each stop of their tour, then listen and react to what they made live with the crowd. For the grand finale of the tour, they chose to cover “Party Rock Anthem.” Usually, these covers would have off-key instrumentals, out-of-time drums, and overblown vocals, but this LMFAO cover actually held up extremely well. If you were to put Queef Jerky’s version side by side with the original track, it might take a couple of seconds to realize which one is the original, and that’s saying a lot.
The last song of the night was Queef Jerky’s TikTok hit, “PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN.” It was the perfect song to end a chaotically good night of music from such an unparalleled duo making some of the most deranged and provocative songs in the entire music industry.
If you haven’t experienced Queef Jerky’s music yet, listen to their new album, Absolute Madness, available on all streaming platforms now. Check out their Instagram (@queefjerky2022) for news regarding upcoming shows.