To celebrate the release of their second album, A Way Forward, which drops today, Brooklyn-based synth-pop band Nation of Language headlined a sold-out show at Bushwick venue Market Hotel. The trio, which consists of Ian Richard Devaney (vocals), Aidan Noell (synth) and Michael Sue-Poi (bass), released a fantastic first album, Introduction, Presence, in May 2020, and it has been in constant rotation during the pandemic for this listener. Thursday night’s show had a good mix of songs from both albums and included a synthy cover of “Gouge Away” by the Pixies as an encore. I’ve been listening to the new album while editing my photos and doing this write-up, and I’m happy to report that it continues to hit a sweet spot for this child of the ‘80s. Go see Nation of Language while you can still catch them in a small venue. They will have you dancing your socks off in no time.
Local band Cutouts started things off with an opening set. Its members for the show included Alex MacKay (lead vocals, guitar), Shannon Wise (backing vocals, bass), Eli Recht-Appel (guitar), Leo Grossman (tambourine) and Léna Bartels (drums). Their music paired nicely with that of Nation of Language, and Alex even joined the headliners for a track on guitar.
Nation of Language setlist: Rush & Fever, I’ve Thought About Chicago, Wounds of Love, September Again, Across That Fine Line, A Word & A Wave, Indignities, Friend Machine, The Grey Commute, On Division St., What Does the Normal Man Feel?, This Fractured Mind. ENCORE- Gouge Away (Pixies cover), The Wall & I
For over a year now, NYC hardcore punk band (and FTA favorite) Rebelmatic has been organizing regular outdoor events drawing from a roster of fine openers and this Sunday was no exception. Yesterday afternoon they put on their 31st pop-up show of the pandemic with special guests No Call No Show, and Angelo Moore, the front man of legendary band Fishbone.
Kicking it off was Brooklyn band No Call No Show who played a quick, energetic burst of songs that set the mood nicely. They feature Mikie Nice on vocals/guitar, Mark Thorn on bass, and Josh Salant on drums.
I was especially excited to check out Angelo Moore, having seen Fishbone a number of times but never Dr. Madd Vibe just by himself. Angelo, who came in from Los Angeles for this gig, performed solo against recorded tracks played from his laptop. He mixed it up with his saxophone, theremin, and vocals while exhibiting his trademark charismatic energy and lyrical dexterity.
Rounding up the beautiful afternoon was headliner Rebelmatic, with regulars Creature on vocals, Alkatraz on guitar, Karnage on bass, and Moïse Scott subbing in on drums. They played a tight set full of songs, and even coaxed Angelo to join them for a song with his sax.
I hadn’t been to one of these pop-ups since the spring so it had been a while, but I recognized many familiar faces in the lively crowd. The guys in Rebelmatic always put in their all into every show and it never gets old seeing them live. They were one of the first live acts I got to see after a long period of no concerts due to Covid, so I am happy to catch them whenever I can.
These pop-up shows are always a good time, and while there’s no set admission, these bands do accept donations. These shows have been happening on the same block in Bushwick every time, and we’re not going to reveal the address here, but you should definitely follow Rebelmatic’s Instagram for announcements of upcoming gigs.
As an aside, I was hoping to bring the mister to this one as he has been a lifelong fan of Fishbone, but sadly, he was sidelined by a bum knee. I talked to Angelo after his performance and showed him an old photo I took of him at the Apollo Theater. It was from a Fishbone show that happened to be on my husband’s birthday, and Angelo jumped down from the stage and climbed over the seats until he happened to be right on top of us, and he held his mic down for my husband to sing into. I somehow managed to capture this magic moment on my cell phone. I thanked Angelo for making Michael’s birthday a super memorable one. Angelo gave me a few stickers to bring home to Michael, gave me a hug, and took a photo with me. Best day ever!
As part of BAM’s R&B Festival at Fort Greene Park, the always charming Valerie June headlined a free show late Sunday afternoon and closed out the week-long concert series with a 90 minute set. Though originally from Tennessee, Valerie June also now considers the neighborhood of Bed-Stuy her home, so it was quite fitting for her to play this local gig. I have had the pleasure of seeing her perform a pared-down set at the intimate Bar LunÀtico a number of times, and most recently, I saw her sing a song with Mavis Staples at the Apollo Theater in May 2019, but it had been a while since I saw her play a full blown set in front of a larger crowd.
This time, she was backed by a band including a horn section, and presented a set that was rockin’ at times as she adeptly switched from playing banjo, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and even a banjo ukulele. She mostly focused on her latest album, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers, which came out in March 2021 on Fantasy Records, but also drew upon material from older albums including some of my favorites like “Workin’ Woman Blues” and “Somebody To Love” from her stunning debut. Though the festival was billed as being R&B-focused, Valerie June is anything but easily characterized into a single genre. She’s got a little bit of everything in her music, and you can also see that in the diversity of the audience. I’m so delighted I disregarded the threat of rain and caught this gem of a performance.
On Thursday, October 7th, I headed to The Bell House in Gowanus to catch a most interesting pairing of bands: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog with opener The Messthetics. I was especially eager to see Ceramic Dog (Ribot on guitar, Ches Smith on drums, and Shahzad Ismaily on bass / guitar / Moog / percussion) because of their excellent latest album, Hope, released this past June on Northern Spy Records.
Since the onset of the pandemic, I’ve had the good fortune to see Ribot twice. First was the day after Election Day, when votes were still being tallied, and the nation nervously awaited the outcome of the Presidential race. He played a pop up show with singer Fay Victor in a backyard in Brooklyn, with only his guitar providing the instrumentation, and for a blissful hour or so, we escaped political bedlam for a little while and dug into this intimate live performance. Then, a few days later, when Joe Biden was officially declared the winner and new President of the United States, I wandered around my neighborhood and happened upon a jubilant crowd in front of the Barclays Center, where none other than Ribot and his trumpet and a few other local musicians improvised a celebratory soundtrack for people to dance to.
Marc Ribot at The Bell House
Ribot is unafraid to get political in his music and words, so this album Hope reflects a lot of what has transpired recently. And much like his versatility in the way he performs, the music on this album cannot be characterized as any one genre. I have seen both Smith and Ismaily live in other projects, so it was especially wonderful for me to watch these three skillful musicians join together last night. While the show was billed as a release show for Hope, the set drew upon selections from the group’s various recordings (see the last photo for a handwritten setlist). Towards the end of their set, saxophonists James Brandon Lewis and Jay Rodriguez (who also participated in that gathering at Barclays) joined Ceramic Dog for a blistering climax to the hour and 45 minute set. They finished to great applause and left the stage, not returning for an encore, feeling no need to top an already thrilling performance.
Opening the show was another trio known as The Messthetics. Having grown up listening to seminal band Fugazi in my youth but sadly never seeing them live, I was excited to see bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty as part of this iteration, joined by the incredible guitarist Anthony Pirog. Like the music of Ceramic Dog, The Messthetics’ music, which is completely instrumental, cannot be characterized neatly. There are elements of jazz, post punk, prog, and experimental throughout their compositions. I loved seeing them live and up close and watching the progression of each song. The aforementioned James Brandon Lewis also joined The Messthetics towards the end of their set on his tenor sax, making for a frenzied finish.
This past Tuesday, British indie pop band Glass Animals headlined the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park for a sold-out show benefiting the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival series that happens every summer (except for last year, because, well, you know why).
Glass Animals is comprised of lead singer Dave Bayley, with bandmates Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Joe Seaward (drums, percussion). They released their third album, Dreamland, just over a year ago, so by now, the audience was fully familiar with all the tracks and sang along at every opportunity. I totally loved the energy of Bayley, or Wavey Davey as he’s affectionately known, as he sang and bounced around the stage non-stop, pausing ever so slightly to occasionally pick up a guitar.
With the backdrop made to look like an old CRT computer monitor that displayed different graphics for each song, and various set pieces like neon signs, palm trees and even a diving board, at times I felt like I was watching a retro videogame of sorts with a really danceable, upbeat soundtrack. It was perhaps the most elaborate stage set up I’ve seen in a while, which was quite a treat for me to photograph.
While Glass Animals played a lot of songs from the latest LP, including the hugely popular closer “Heat Waves,” over half the setlist drew from older material. I have to admit I found myself shaking my butt during the second song “Life Itself” as I took photos in the pit. I imagine having such an involved lighting design and set means that there are a lot of cues that the crew has to work with, so there can’t really be much flexibility in what the band plays. The Brooklyn show was only the third stop of this tour, but it looks like there hasn’t been any departure from the setlist of songs played every night. I don’t think the fans really care about that sort of thing, however, as it looked like everyone had a good time and even continued the party afterwards as people departed the park. That must have thrilled the residents of Park Slope (haha). Even Wavey Davey declared it his favorite show ever.
Opening the show was artist binki, who appeared solo and rapped over pre-recorded tracks. He recently released an EP, Motor Function, via FADER. He also dropped some magic tricks in between songs.
