Last week I was lucky enough to see three VERY good bands play at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom. I had never been to that particular venue, and was blown away by how close to the band I could get. I could literally touch their feet if I wanted to.
First up was Depreciation Guild who could have had their vocals turned up a bit louder, but even so, were impressive. I got to talk to the lead singer after the show, and was intrigued by how humble he was.
Next came Surfer Blood. I had listened a lot of their stuff on MySpace before, yet wasn’t sold. Let’s just say that I am now. After the show, I instantly bought their recently released debut album, Astro Coast. I’ve been listening to it nonstop since that show.
When they first came on stage, I was surprised by how young they looked. How could this group of guys that look like teenagers outshine the much-talked-about headlining band The Drums? It took a couple songs for them to warm up, but when lead singer, JP Pitts got into his groove, there was no stopping him. Song after song was a hit with the crowd who embraced the Weezer-like style of Surfer Blood. My personal favorite was their song “Swim”, which is catchier than any song I’ve listened to lately. Kudos to JP, TJ, Thomas, and Brian on a great set!
Last, but not least was The Drums. They have been hyped up quite a bit recently, so I had pretty high expectations. I first heard about them while I was working at MTV UK, where they are currently one of ten bands on their Ten for Ten list. From the get-go, this band was bursting with energy, jumping around the stage, and getting the audience involved.
I’ve never seen someone use a tambourine like guitarist Jacob Graham. Amazing. Lead singer, Jonathan Pierce was equally spirited as he belted lyrics with his fellow bandmates. For their song “Don’t Be a Jerk Johnny”, Peggy Wang-East of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart came on stage to sing the female vocals. Nice touch!
Overall, this gig was absolutely amazing. The venue was sick, the bands were lively, and the crowd was immensely amused. I am definitely going to put all three of these bands’ future tour dates on my calendar. Below are songs by each the bands.
