Pons at Baby’s All Right (photo by Kate Hoos)
Over the last two months or so I’ve gotten to see Pons play a few times and they just get better every time. Celebrating the release of their excellent new single “Leave Me to My Work,” (read my thoughts here), they hit the stage at Baby’s All Right recently and put on the best set I’ve seen from them yet. They are intense and don’t spare an ounce of energy for their performance, going harder than some hardcore bands I’ve seen. I’d dare say they are even a bit theatrical, putting their all into the performance and not just standing there with their instruments. Sure that’s all well and good, and no shade to bands who do that, but I really love when I’m not just watching people play their music but rather watching performers who FEEL it and get physical while doing so. They’re absolutely one of the best live bands going in NYC right now and have a busy show schedule, so if you’re looking to check out any new local music (which you should do anyway…), they need to be at the top of your list.
While I’ve said before that I would more classify Pons as noise rock and no wave than post punk, others have given them that label and I know post punk is a pretty wide genre signifier. That being the case, this show was indeed a full range of what the term “post punk” means and has to offer. There was the no wave frenzy of Pons, with their set bookended by Consumables who opened the show with a dose of angular post punk, and Safer who closed out the night (and is fronted by Mattie Safer also of Poolside and formerly of The Rapture) with a healthy helping of soul and old school rock n roll vibes in the mix of their disco post punk.
I’m always a fan of a show with a good groove and some artful playing as opposed to lots of screaming (which I do love and is admittedly is a lot of the shows I find myself at, but it’s also nice to take break sometimes) and this show had that to offer in spades, each band giving a different take on what that groove felt like. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday night at all!
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
CONSUMABLES
SAFER
PONS
