English indie pop artist The Japanese House played a sold out show at Webster Hall last week on November 2 with support from Quinnie.
The Japanese House at Webster Hall. Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Fronted by singer Amber Mary Bain, The Japanese House released their second studio album, In The End it Always Does on Dirty Hit Records earlier this year. The album included hit single “Sunshine Baby,” which features vocals from The 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Notable features on the record also included Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Muna, and Charli XCX.
Quinnie plays Webster Hall. Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Quinnie opened the show, playing delightful melodies full of charming and quirky lyrics. Fans packed in early for the show, filling up the venue before her set. Her set was met with big applause.
The Japanese House
The Japanese House played a powerful set featuring highs that shook the room with fans jumping up and down, and sorrowful lows that left a hush over the audience. Several fans could be seen crying during various moments throughout the show. The energy only increased from song to song, culminating in the main set’s final song, “Dionne (featuring Justin Vernon).” For the final song of the encore, they played fan favorite “Sunshine Baby.”
The Japanese House North American tour continues, and you can listen to their music here. Check out future tour dates here. Listen to Quinnie here.
Check out our gallery from staff contributor David Reichmann below.
Acclaimed instrumental progressive rock band, Polyphia, played a sold-out show at Terminal 5 in New York City last week (October 26, 2023) with support from Domi and JD Beck.
Polyphia at Terminal 5. Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Jazz duo Domi and JD Beck opened the show, with keyboardist Domi Louna and drummer JD Beck delivering a very impressive and lengthy set. Their songs featured highly technical drum patterns and keys. They joked between songs about the quality of their performance, taking jabs at their own skills, which the audience rewarded with big laughs and applause. They played in a fully packed venue and thanked the crowd for showing up early for the set. They left the stage with big applause and a heightened anticipation of the headlining act.
Domi and JD Beck opening for Polyphia. Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
After some brief intro music, Terminal 5 erupted in applause as blinding lights flashed, welcoming Polyphia to the stage. Guitarists and founders Tim Henson and Scott LePage are widely considered to be two of the most influential rock guitarists of today, and they are both Ibanez-endorsed artists with several signature guitars of their own. One of their biggest singles, “Playing God,” has garnered over 30 million views on YouTube. The platform was their initial proving ground when one of their earliest singles, “Impassion,” launched them into fame.
Their set at Terminal 5 included tracks from throughout their four-album catalog. For their encore, they played fan favorites, “Playing God” and “G.O.A.T.” They didn’t speak directly to the crowd at any point in the show, as they didn’t have microphones. But they held their guitars aloft in thanks at the end of the show and walked off with wide smiles on their faces. The crowd cheered them out and left more than satisfied.
You can listen to their latest album here and you can see their upcoming tour dates here. Check out Domi and JD Beck’s music here.
Legendary Indie Rock outfit The Walkmen played the final show of their 2023 tour at Kings Theatre on Tuesday, October 17 in Brooklyn. Longtime friend of the band and acclaimed Vampire Weekend alum Rostam Batmanglij opened the show. His setlist included a Vampire Weekend song, as well as songs from his solo projects.
Rostam invited Walkmen founder and frontman Hamilton Leithauser onstage to join him for a few songs. The two had collaborated in 2016 for an album, and they played three songs from that record.
The Walkmen at Kings Theatre. Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
The Walkmen played a set packed with fan favorite songs, as well as quite a few deep cuts. The band is known for their high energy songs, with high tempo drum beats and hard rock vocals.
Rostam performs with The Walkmen. Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
To introduce “The Blizzard of ’96,” Hamilton brought his daughter out with a newspaper from the day of the blizzard.
This show marked the end of The Walkmen’s reunion. After their 12 year break from playing live shows, the band reunited for a 2023 tour, which included five sold out nights at Webster Hall. Hamilton said after the final song at Kings, “This is goodbye for a little while. Not forever. But a little while.” Despite the bittersweet nature of this final show of their tour and reunion for 2023, fans left abuzz with joy.
You can enjoy The Walkmen’s music here, and be sure to stay tuned for any tour announcements coming in “a little while.” Check out our photo gallery by David Reichmann below.
The Walkmen – Kings Theatre, Brooklyn – Tuesday, October 17
Setlist: What’s in It for Me, On the Water, In the New Year, The Rat, Wake Up, The Blizzard of ’96, New Years Eve, Little House of Savages, 138th Street, Blue as Your Blood, Juveniles, Dónde Está la Playa, Angela Surf City, Postcards from Tiny Islands, Red Moon, I Lost You, All Hands and the Cook, Canadian Girl, Heaven
Acclaimed singer, songwriter, and producer James Blake played two sold out nights at Knockdown Center this weekend, October 5, as part of his Playing Robots Into Heaven Tour. Blake’s longtime bandmate Rob McAndrews opened the show under the stage name Airhead.
James Blake at Knockdown Center, Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
James Blake’s tour concludes October 20th in Los Angeles. Check out his upcoming dates here, and listen to Blake’s latest album here.
James Blake at Knockdown Center, Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Our full photo gallery by David Reichmann is below.
Canadian indie rock collective Broken Social Scene played a packed show at Brooklyn Steel this weekend (September 29th) in continuation of their You Forgot It In People 20th anniversary tour with support from Hannah Georgas.
Broken Social Scene in Brooklyn, Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Historic rain and wind buffeted the state of New York last week, leading to severe flooding and a state of emergency. Thankfully, the rain had slowed down and mostly stopped by the time the doors to Brooklyn Steel opened Friday night. The band thanked the audience during their set for braving the elements. “It took a lot for everyone to be here tonight and we appreciate it!”
Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Singer-songwriter and fellow Canadian Hannah Georgas opened up the evening with truly heartfelt and catchy pop/rock songs. Despite the fact that the venue was mostly packed by the time she took the stage, the audience was almost completely silent during her set, with hearty applause breaks as the only exception. She even commented, “Wow! It’s so quiet in here.”
Hannah Georgas, Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
As Broken Social Scene took the stage for the headlining act, the warm and cozy atmosphere of the venue instantly transformed into an electric frenzy. With the band’s ensemble makeup consisting of some eight-plus members, the stage was packed with just about every instrument imaginable. Bandmates switched positions, instruments, or sometimes left the stage, depending on the song. They played hits from their entire catalog, with a strong focus on the tour’s titular album, You Forgot It In People. The band brought Hannah Georgas onstage for their final song, fan favorite “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl.”
Hannah Georgas singing with Broken Social Scene, Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Broken Social Scene frontman and co-founder Kevin Drew spoke with us over the phone last week and we asked him about his new solo record, Aging. We also chatted about the economics of touring as an indie rock group, that viral Boygenius moment, and how Meryl Streep and Tracy Ullman ended up joining the band on stage at Webster Hall last year. Check out those stories in our interview article.
When we spoke to Kevin, he was staying in what he called a “Haunted Hilton” in Pennsylvania. He explained how you could tell if a place was haunted, “You know when you’re in a hotel room, and suddenly you feel like you’re in a sort of coffin. And it has that digital blue light with the time. And if you look at the shadows on the ceiling. And if you can feel the sort of mold in the dirt of the lines on the carpet. That’s how you know.”
We shared a laugh, and Kevin went on, “Well I got friends with kids, they’re like, ‘Do you believe in ghosts?’ And I’ll say, ‘I’m a scientist man.’ But I gotta make sure there’s no monsters under the bed. I believe in all of that.” Kevin took a more serious tone for a moment. “I believe in it because I believe in being a dreamer. I love the idea of another plane. My mother passed a couple of months ago. […] I like to believe that there’s more than us. And because I don’t have children, I need to believe in that.”
Kevin opened up about releasing a record so soon after his mother’s passing. “The desire to put up a solo record was not high, but it was actually Brendan Canning, you know, my partner in Broken Social Scene, he said, ‘You gotta put it out man.’” Kevin wrote and recorded these tracks in 2014, but had left them on the shelf while the band worked on other songs for the band’s upcoming 2017 album Hug of Thunder. He continued, “I didn’t think my mom was going to pass a month before we dropped a song. You know, we arranged everything sort of the 10 months in advance and I had no idea why I was waiting so long and it all kind of lined up and Brendan just says ‘Look, put it out and just we’ll play.’”
Brendan Kenning of Broken Social Scene, Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
During the Brooklyn Steel show, Broken Social Scene played Out In the Fields from Kevin’s solo project. As Kevin said in our conversation, it was the “Broken Social Scene” version of the track. Given the collective nature of their group, many members have contributed songs to the band’s setlists over the years. Kevin said on stage, “My mother was always in the audience at every show.” and dedicated a song to her memory.
Kevin Drew’s solo record, Aging is available on vinyl now, with the digital release streaming in November. Check out the rest of our interview with Kevin here.
Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It In People 20th anniversary tour continues with a few remaining dates in the US and Toronto. Be sure to check out Broken Social Scene’s music here and Hannah Georgas’ music here.
Interview, writing, and photography by David Reichmann. Check out the full gallery below.
NYS Music spoke with Broken Social Scene co-founder and frontman Kevin Drew about his new solo record Aging, the band’s upcoming show in New York City, and much more.
Broken Social Scene frontman Kevin Drew playing a show at Webster Hall in New York, 2022. Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
In our exclusive interview, Kevin answered some of David’s burning questions, including “How did Broken Social Scene get Tracy Ullman and Meryl Streep on stage to sing “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl” at Webster Hall last year?” Kevin told us he and Tracy dated for a year during the pandemic and maintained a friendship since, adding, “I told Tracy to come out and sing. Her bestie [Meryl Streep] showed up, and she’s a very lovely woman […] and I think she was just having fun!”
Kevin also talked about how he felt seeing Phoebe Bridgers wear a sweatshirt with lyrics from the BSS song, “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl” on Zane Lowe’s podcast. “I thought it was Photoshop!” The sweater instantly went viral, and the band began selling the sweater on their website in response, donating the profits for charity. He went on to talk about the difficulty of being a “middle-class band,” as he called it. “It’s difficult for us, because every dime counts now. It’s not like every dollar. It’s like every dime.”
Then there is Boygenius, the indie supergroup comprised of Julien Baker, Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. Drew played with the trio recently in Toronto, saying “They were louder than loud, I think it was the loudest audience I had ever attended. It was insane. […] I’m a big, big fan of Lucy [Dacus]. Lucy was the first one that I heard. And I just immediately thought ‘Who is this?’ So I was happy when I heard that Lucy was an admirer of our band. And then I think that’s probably how we got the gig.”
Kevin spoke about his new solo record, Aging, and what it meant to record a solo project. “The desire to put up a solo record was not high, but it was actually Brendan Canning, you know, my partner in BSS, he said, ‘You gotta put it out man.’” Kevin went on to say, “I didn’t think my mom was going to pass a month before we dropped a song. You know, we arranged everything sort of the 10 months in advance and I had no idea why I was waiting so long and it all kind of lined u. And Brendan just says ‘Look, put it out and just we’ll play.’”
Kevin Drew’s solo record, Aging, will be released digitally November 2nd. You can buy physical copies of the record here, which includes a 75-page book titled, “Towards Everything.”
Broken Social Scene plays Brooklyn Steel this weekend with support from Hannah Georgas, buy your tickets here.
Drew spoke to NYS Music about much more, including all things music, touring, and even haunted hotel rooms. Be sure to check back here next week for our full show review and much more from our interview.
Arctic Monkeys played two sold out shows at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY over September 8-9, as part of their ongoing North American tour. The second evening at Forest Hills Stadium coincided with the tenth anniversary of their self-titled album, and marked their return to Forest Hills Stadium after last playing there in 2018.
Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium, NY. Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Beloved post-punk outfit Fontaines DC opened for Arctic Monkeys both nights. They played powerful hard-hitting sets, warming up the crowd before the Arctic Monkeys took the stage.
Fontaines DC at Forest Hills Stadium, NY. Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
On the second night, legendary poet John Cooper Clarke introduced the band with his spoken word poem “I Wanna Be Yours,” which the band had covered in their self-titled album.
John Cooper Clarke introduces Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium, NY. Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
After taking the stage to rapturous applause, Arctic Monkeys started the second evening’s set with the opening track on their self-titled record, “Do I Wanna Know.”
Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium. Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Fans of all ages seemed to know the words to every song, occasionally even singing the guitar melodies along with the band.
Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium. Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
The setlist featured many of the band’s most iconic tracks from their catalog, including “Brianstorm,” “Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High,” and “Fluorescent Adolescent.” At the end of “There Better Be a Mirrorball” from their latest record, a large disco ball descended from above, bearing the singular word “Monkeys” on both sides. They immediately launched into “505” and the mirrorball lit up, spreading dots of glowing white light throughout the stadium and its 13,000 fans. This induced a seemingly-involuntary cheer among the audience, who lost themselves in the moment that was certainly a highlight from the show.
Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium. Photography (captured on a point-and-shoot) by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
For their encore, the band returned to the stage to play their cover of John Cooper Clarke’s “I Wanna Be Yours,” and closed their sold out two-night run with “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” and “R U Mine?” (which they started with the opening chords to The Strokes’ “Last Nite”).
Arctic Monkeys at Forest Hills Stadium. Photography (captured on a point-and-shoot) by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Arctic Monkeys North American tour with Fontaines DC continues, and you can check out their upcoming tour dates here and stream their music here. And if you like the Monkeys, you should definitely listen to Fontaines DC’s catalog here.
Check out our full gallery below, with photography by David Reichmann.
Legendary Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós played a sold out show at King’s Theater in Brooklyn on Friday, August 18. The band played accompanied by the 41-piece Wordless Music Orchestra.
The incredible stage design featured a variety of lighting fixtures, both to light the orchestra’s sheet music and to provide a warm visual. A heavy atmosphere floated over the crowd, and fans sat captive in their seats throughout the entire performance. The lights pulsed and danced gently with the ambient sounds of the music. The only interruption from the rapturous ensemble came at the end of each song, when the crowd would let out big cheers.
King’s Theatre is easily one of the most beautiful concert venues in New York, and provided the perfect setting for Sigur Rós and their orchestra to hypnotize the audience into sheer bliss. This show proved to be an experience quite unlike any other, and there’s no doubt fans will be reminiscing on this for quite a while.
You can listen to the band’s music here and view their upcoming tour dates here. Check out the gallery below by staff contributor David Reichmann.
In the midst of her North American “Hold the Girl” tour, Rina Sawayama played a sold out show at Pier 17 this weekend (August 12) with support from Magdalenda Bay and Disko Cowboy. You can view Rina Sawayama’s upcoming tour dates here and listen to her latest record here.
Check out our gallery of photos from the show by David Reichmann below.
JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown continued their “Scaring the Hoes Tour” with a stop at Terminal 5 in New York City on Friday, Aug. 11. They played several tracks off their newly released collaboration album, Scaring the Hoes, and took turns playing songs their own solo catalogs throughout the set. They brought Redveil onstage to play “Kingdom Hearts Key” from the album. DJ Dave opened up the show with her signature style of using code to create music.
You can see our full gallery from the show below. Check out JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown’s Music here. Their North American Tour continues, and you can view upcoming dates here.
Redveil joins JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown on stage at Terminal 5, NYCDJ Dave plays Terminal 5, NYCPhotography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
