After a freakish water main break that turned most of the Bowery area into a large body of water the night before, Bowery Ballroom cleaned itself up in time to welcome Other Lives and supporting bands WIM and Lucius on Friday night.

Indie folk band Lucius was a pleasant start to the evening. Dressed in dapper retro attire, singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig performed a set of catchy and upbeat tunes showcasing their beautiful, crystal-clear vocal harmonies that make each song shimmer. They even paid homage to the late singer Whitney Houston by performing a sample of the well-known Houston single “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”. Celebrating the release of the self-titled EP, Lucius’ energy was wonderfully infectious and made some in the audience crack a smile in appreciation. The Brooklyn band had the hometown advantage, fed off the love they received from the crowd and began the night with a bang.

Australian band WIM followed Lucius and brought a more calmed and subdued stage presence. With holey and disheveled attire, singer Martin Solomon led the psychedelic band with his crooning and unexpectedly soothing vocals. WIM’s sound is reminiscent of British rock bands of the past and present but with added restraint and refinement. The band provided solid harmonies and vocals that gave their overall sound a sense of weightlessness and ethereal quality. Their set grew with intensity from one song to the next, eventually letting loose at the end with a passionate and energetic tribal-like drumming section that resulted in a flying drumstick hitting a surprised audience member on the head and landing in the hands of another. WIM’s performance was a perfect musical segue to the night’s headliner, Other Lives.

By the time it was Other Lives’ turn to take the stage, the sold out ballroom was already bursting at the seams with people eager to experience what the quintet had to offer.  Before they even arrived, they began their set with a wave of synths and dim lighting as a mental and aural palate cleanser to ready the crowd. When the band finally went on stage, all were in awe of them. Performing songs from their latest album Tamer Animals, Other Lives’ songs were filled with lush orchestrations and heartfelt singing that enveloped the audience and resulted in closed eyes, huge smiles and swaying bodies. Other Lives’ show has a transcending quality that is just as captivating as their music videos.

Looking at their stage set up, they should really be called the Other Lives Orchestra. The stage looked like a complicated maze of wires and instruments, each member playing at least two different pieces, some playing two (or maybe even three) at a time. This made it sound like there were at least twenty people performing onstage. Watching drummer Colby Owens playing clarinet and drums simultaneously was both amazing and extremely entertaining. The band ended their epic set by humbly thanking everyone, and the crowd gave even more in return.

Other Lives exceeded the already high expectations many had for them, giving a memorable show that has fans already asking them when their next NYC event will be. The next time they comes back here, though, they’ll definitely need a bigger venue.

Without a doubt, the line slowly clambering inside of Mercury Lounge last Friday was the longest I’ve seen waiting to get into the venue. Not to mention, practically every third person seemed to be a hopeful concertgoer who had to be told that there were no tickets available. This scene wasn’t surprising, though, considering the Continue Reading

Photo credit: Time Out New York (Loren Wohl)

With the exception of shimmering lights emanating from the back of the stage, the Bowery Ballroom was completely dark for singer-songwriter Cass McCombs’ set on Wednesday night. The sold out crowd packed in the venue, even tighter than sardines, and was held in rapt attention throughout the show.

The evening started off on an impossibly high note with opener Frank Fairfield. Sitting on the stage with only a microphone and constantly rotating between a fiddle, banjo and guitar, in addition to stomping on the stage for percussion, Fairfield silenced the mostly full theater for the entirety of his almost 45 minute set. With songs called “Good-bye Booze Forever More, My Boozing Days will Soon be O’er”, Fairfield’s Appalachian infused voice and jaunty accompaniment offered a surprising and thoroughly enjoyable show for those slowly filing into the theater. Continue Reading

Photo credit: Erica Carpiniello

With the Studio at Webster hall completely packed last Thursday, it seemed as though just about everyone in New York had the same good idea. Considering that this was Cloud Nothings’ first NYC show since the release of the universally praised Attack On Memory, no one in their right mind would pass up the chance to see them perform at the beginning of a new album cycle and with some pretty impressive supporting acts.

I’ve been to about five Cloud Nothings (@cloudnothingsoh) shows, and I’m consistently blown away by how much tighter the band seems each time. Their show last week at the Studio At Webster Hall was no exception. Playing all the songs off Attack On Memory, Dylan Baldi and his crew kept the stage banter to a minimum (just a simple “Thanks for coming,” in the middle of the set) and let the jams speak for themselves. “Jams” is not a euphemism either. The four-piece band took several liberties and elongated Continue Reading

Written by: Billy Mack

Taking to the stage for the first time in 2012, Lousiana quintet GIVERS lit up the Music Hall of Williamsburg with NY based openers, Yellow Ostrich. Audience members trickled onto the floor for the sold Continue Reading

Update: Got the days mixed up!  This is from the Bowery Ballroom show.

Oh Land’s (@ohlandmusic) headlining performance this past Monday at Bowery Ballroom was my first time at the venue, and, while it took over an hour for me to navigate coat check after the show, the overall experience was great. For a photographer wanting to walk around and gain different perspectives, Bowery is perfect — a reasonably sized space with an appropriate capacity. Continue Reading

City and Colour (@cityandcolour) packed Terminal 5 last Wednesday night with hundreds of die hard fans that knew every word to every song. Dallas Green may be backed by a Continue Reading

The McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea, known now for the artistic noir experience “Sleep No More”, played host Sunday night to Laura Marling.  Marling’s dark quirky/hooky folk songs, delivered amidst Continue Reading

Young Buffalo (@youngbuffalo) started the night with a rousing set of power pop tunes. Delivering a collection of songs almost in the style of Brian Jonestown Massacre’s standout album, Take It From the Man, they drew from past psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll and contemporary indie rock influences. They energetically banged out both Continue Reading

There’s truly nothing better than getting to see the artists you love in action. We were so proud to present a stellar lineup of up-and-coming bands last Friday at Pianos, and we can guarantee that you’ll be hearing much more from these groups in the near future.

Starting off last Friday night was the Brooklyn-based project of Lauren Zettler, Lightyear (@iamlightyear). With a sound resembling a harder, richer Feist and a more serious Regina Spektor, Zettler blended her tinkling ivories with electronic highlights and big beats, opening up the show on a high note. Continue Reading