background img

Shows We Went To (I)

You may recognize Shows We Went To, our new photography series that captures the crackling energy of live shows from across the NYC circuit, from the back of our print zine. Now, instead of waiting for our next jam-packed issue to drop, we’re bringing you these amazing moments of fun, intimacy, and madness digitally on a (mostly) monthly basis.

Armed with DSLRs, disposables, and 35 mm film, our staff photographers are here to document the magic of music firsthand. Let me rephrase that: we make it our job to go to a ton of shows. Meaning don’t worry if you didn’t make it out to that Monday night banger after a long start to the work week, or if happy hour got the best of you — we’ve got you covered. So please enjoy volume 1 and its pool of vibrant experiences from some of our favorite recent gigs here, and then come party with us next time. No excuses!

Baked/Bueno @ Shea Stadium (3/27)
photos by Brett Rosenfeld

Baked and Bueno, two charismatic NYC-based bands, have made names for themselves via their raw, lo-fi vibes and powerful performances. Whereas Baked leans more toward psychedelic charm, Bueno aligns itself with gruff, post-punk snarl. Regardless, these two outfits both value grittiness, energy, and the beauty of going against the grain.

bueno327003

bueno327002

baked327007 baked327008 baked327009 bueno327001 bueno327019

Jerry Paper @ Silent Barn (4/1)
photos by Brett Rosenfeld

Clad in a kimono and tube socks, psychedelic oddball Jerry Paper (aka Lucas Nathan) held an intimate release party at Silent Barn for his most recent album, Carousel. Paper has a knack for crafting bumping tracks that combine funky synth tones, eclectic percussion, and poppy melodies a la slacker-ish vocals. While some may shrug his antics off as silly, Paper’s live show is an enigmatic affair that flirts with performance art, and his innumerable eccentricities definitely left fans feeling a little more than halfway zen that night.

jerry paper 41006

tumblr_nmeyavOdsk1qeh068o3_1280

jerry paper 41007 jerry paper 41008 jerry paper 41011 jerry paper 41012 jerry paper 41013

Fat White Family @ Mercury Lounge (4/2)
photos + story by Hafalia Yackel

London’s Fat White Family played a high-energy show on Thursday, April 2 at the Mercury Lounge. The band emerged on stage as angelic men with flower crowns but were quickly transformed into shaggy-haired rock heathens. Between the fuzz and jangle, frontman Lias Saoudi danced shirtless, belting his heart out and swaying with the swagger of a ’60s rock idol. The rasp of his voice accompanied the sounds of summery psych, and the pit went crazy — drunk in love with rock n’ roll. This quartet very much holds up to their reputation as a raucous live band. It might have been the best live show I’ve ever seen!

fw5 fw4 fw3 fw2 fw1

Big Ups @ Baby’s All Right (4/9)
photos by Cheryl Georgette Arent 

Big Ups are one of Brooklyn’s DIY heavyweights, and their brand of visceral post-punk packs a frenzied, poetic punch. We had the pleasure of interviewing the intense quartet for issue #3, and most recently, they opened for Turbo Fruits, a garage rock band from Nashville (whom we also had the pleasure of interviewing), at Baby’s All Right. You might not think politically-charged rants delivered through guttural howls might not mesh with catchy garage pop, but you’d be wrong; we all contain equal parts thrash and sway, and the amped-up crowd made it clear that they were ready to throw down, croon, and everything in between.

31710031_LORES 31710027_LORES 31710020_LORES

Sunflower Bean @ Baby’s All Right (4/13)
photos by Brett Rosenfeld

Riding the high of a write-up in the New York Times, Sunflower Bean overtook Baby’s All Right with their punchy blend of psychedelic post-punk. Their sound, which vacillates between shoegaze-inspired distortion and droning and rapid bass riffs that will have you up and flailing, first caught our attention with the release of their debut EP, Show Me Your Seven Secrets. Their first full-length is (supposedly) due out this summer, but in the mean time — check out this awesome shot of singer Julia Cumming in action.

35430020

35430024

35430022-755x1269

35440022

 

 

 

 



Other articles you may like

Leave a Comment