Having been honored with the presence of an acoustic-wielding Todd Goldstein at our Wild Honey Pie Birthday Concert, it was great to get out and see ARMS in all their full-fledged glory.

Following the wild and funky fellows of Emil & Friends and the always dance-inducing Neighbors, the four men of ARMS bring it all to the table with their dreamy shoegaze rock. As conflicting as it sounds, their songs are truly as deep and somber as they are fun and energetic. They’ve got an amazing blend of haunting harmonies from Todd and Matty Fasano, and tripped out sounds emanating from newcomer Dave Harrington’s corner of the stage, all laid out to the rhythmic stylings of drummer Tlacael Esparza.  With every show come performances of new songs they’re working to perfect for their tentatively titled Summer Skills full-length. That’s definitely something to keep a keen eye out for, along with shows of theirs that are always cropping up in NYC!

BRAIDS took the final slot of the evening and literally entranced the entire crowd into complete stillness with the jaw dropping cries of Raphaelle Standell-Preston and echoing ambient sounds. All of its moving parts had a detached air to them, yet they all worked completely in sync with one another, making the vibe slightly bizarre but nonetheless engaging. There was a palpable tension radiating from the crowd as the songs ebbed and flowed for what seemed like an amazing eternity.

As was mentioned up on stage at some point during the show, it was a tremendous “night of the plural one-word band names” at Mercury Lounge.

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Photos courtesy of Amanda M Hatfield and A Heart Is A Spade