TVOD, Smock, Tilden @ The Sultan Room

by Kate Hoos | Mar 8, 2022 | Shows

TVOD at The Sultan Room (photo by Kate Hoos)

There’s no salve in the world like the rock n roll show and I was more than ready for this night having come from a long and irritating day at work before arriving at the Sultan Room. That was quickly forgotten as soon as I walked through those doors to see friends and performers I love, immersing myself in an oasis of guitars and good times.

Tilden opened the night with a set of groovy, funky indie rock that quickly set the tone for the rest of the night— high energy and fun. I had been previously unfamiliar with them but very much enjoyed their infectious stage presence. The band will next head to SXSW to bring their bold sound to the clubs of Austin.

Smock hit the middle spot and they had been on my list for a while to see but had kept missing. They sit right at the center axis of stoner psych, garage and surf punk, with just a dash of sludge thrown into the mix for good measure too. They have two EPs that I love and listen to all the time, but being that they are a bit on the older side, the band didn’t play much from them, just one song from 2018’s Interstellar Nobody, “High Life” (forgoing the rest of the EP and all of 2017’s Chug). The rest of the set was made up of songs that are presumably new and will hopefully be recorded soon for release. I was bummed to not have seen them previously but the wait was worth it and I loved getting to hear a bunch of material that was new to me. Here’s hoping I won’t go so long without seeing them again.

Smock at Sultan Room

TVOD is hands down one of the most exciting bands in Brooklyn these days and readers should definitely know by now that I love them. Their shows are nothing short of a high octane blowout every single time and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the revelry. This was the tour kickoff for a weekender they were doing to New England and the first show with their new rhythm section, featuring Mem Pahl on drums and Lyzi Wakefield on bass (the two had previously been fill-in/touring members on various instruments). The addition of these players pushed the sound to a bit of a harder edge and faster tempos, which made things sound even more exciting. The band was also joined on stage by Chauncie Shamoni when they performed their latest single “Steady Crushin.” Shamoni stayed on for backing vocals on a few more songs as well, adding to the community nature of this group who I have said before is less a band and more a collective of friends and artists converging to make something special.

A few technical snags hit throughout the set with fallen cymbal stands mid song (synth player Kate Black continued playing with one hand while trying to hold up the stand before yours truly jumped in for the assist) and guitar inputs shorting out, but nothing ever slows this group down and things were quickly sorted out so the show could go on. TVOD shows also never stay calm for long and lead singer Tyler Wright was in and out of the crowd throughout the set, his explosive showmanship on another level from start to finish. The show finished with beer cans flying and guitarist Nikki Sisti riding along the top of the crowd, a fitting end to a raucous night of friends and killer sounds. As the crowd put her down and yelled for more songs the band yelled back “we don’t have any more!” and that was, as they say, that. They will next perform as part of the New Colossus Fest (on Sat. 3/12 at Bowery Electric) and have tour dates coming up in April.

I don’t know much in this life but I do know this: there’s no night like a rock n roll night and that’s a fact.