Starring – Freelance Whales Starring – Freelance Whales

Ghosting – Freelance Whales Ghosting – Freelance Whales

Generator ^ First Floor – Freelance Whales Generator ^ First Floor – Freelance Whales

At Tuesday’s sold out show at the Bowery Ballroom, three fantastic indie bands hit the stage and pulled out all the stops. Indie up-and-comers Sherlock’s Daughter and Lawrence Arabia opened for Freelance Whales.

Hailing from Australia, Sherlock’s Daughter kicked off the gig with their quirky, eclectic punk/pop tunes. If I had to pick a favorite from their set, I’d have to say it was Song For Old People. It has the potential to be a youth anthem with its similarities to the tunes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Sherlock’s Daughter has yet to release an American LP, but when they do I have no doubt in my mind that it’ll be a hit.

Next was Lawrence Arabia, whose recorded work I took a listen to before heading to the show. Needless to say, it was unimpressive. However, their live performance was absolutely fantastic. I’d even say hold out for a show to take a listen to him and his “Prime Ministers”. Their harmonies were near perfect, the breakdowns were entertaining and their use of a trumpet during The Beautiful Young Crew was ingenious. Lawrence Arabia closed out his set with a true rockstar moment — he tore the strings from his guitar after an insane breakdown and slammed it onto the stage floor.

By the time the Freelance Whales took the stage, the room was packed. Hipsters and businessmen alike emerged for this show, and you could cut the excitement with a knife as the lights grew dim and a slew of offstage harmonies filled the air. Bells, a banjo, a glockenspiel, and even a watering can were part of the act on the night of the release of their new album, Weathervanes.

Their music as a whole is as complex as their variety of instruments. Hannah saw lead singer Judah Dadone displaying his mellow yet quirky voice while doing his thing on the synthesizer, and Starring showed off fanciful keyboard melodies and the unique sound of a glockenspiel. My favorite touch of the evening was that of the electric guitar being played by a cello bow during Ghosting, a haunting tune.

Overall, the show couldn’t have played out any better than it did. Each band surpassed my expectations, and I have a newfound adoration for Freelance Whales. I highly suggest you take the time to see all three of these bands live.  Check out the MP3s above from our BUZZsession with Freelance Whales a month or so ago!