AVSE, Desert Sharks, Nihiloceros, Leathered @ Main Drag

by Kate Hoos | Mar 14, 2024 | Shows

A Very Special Episode at Main Drag (photo by Kate Hoos)

Valentine’s Day 2024 may have come and gone already, but love was in the air at Main Drag this past Friday night. Celebrating new releases and friendship alike, four bands of pals and BK music community stalwarts—A Very Special Episode, Nihiloceros, Desert Sharks and Leathered—took the stage with a festive spirit and a hard rock edge which sounds like the perfect Friday night to me!

Leathered kicked off the night and while not currently with a new release, they played plenty of bangers from their 2022 full length, A Reckoning, which was one of my favorite releases of that year. Nihiloceros brought their high energy punk pop fuzz to the room next, shredding through their brand new song “Skipper” which is part of their forthcoming album, Dark Ice Balloons, due out in May. While I did roll my eyes at their NOFX cover (sorry boys, but I’m just never going to get down with that, ha!) it was great catching up with their sound after several months of the work grind keeping me away from their shows. They also took a moment to raffle off a test pressing of the as of yet unreleased album which was won by fellow local musician, Roni.

Desert Sharks and A Very Special Episode recently teamed up for a split EP, DS+AVSE, a compact and concise offering with two songs from each band (read our review) themed around the four elements—earth, water, air and fire—and showcasing what makes each of them special. While I thoroughly enjoyed the recordings, hearing the songs played live always takes things to the next level for me, particularly when they are on the heavier end of the spectrum. Both bands put on power house sets, with “Siren Song” by Desert Sharks being a particular standout of the EP and the show. A Very Special Episode never fails to put on a wildly fun and intense set and they aren’t shy to spill right out into the crowd, always to the delight of their fans. The sonic pairing of these two bands both on record and live really, really works and I hope to see more joint shows and perhaps releases from them in the future.

The Brooklyn music community proves it over and over again that all you need is love. And rock n roll. And friends.