Shea Stadium is an incredible new all-ages DIY venue. It’s definitely got the best layout of any I’ve been to yet. A wide, open white warehouse room with a large stage and a door leading out onto a huge roof, perfect for beer-drinking, grilling, and smoking. The vibe is exactly right. To be perfectly transparent, I have a vested interest in this show because my band also played, though I will certainly not comment on our own performance.
However, this was a great night of music. Dinosaur Feathers are an adorable trio that rely heavily on happy harmonies and synth backbeats. This band is so joyous and fun and danceable; they remind me quite a lot of the Ruby Suns. If you’re a fan of them, then I’d definitely take a listen to Dinosaur Feathers.
pow wow! were my personal favorites of the evening. Another danceable band, their live show would fit in well with the whole indie-pop POBPAH revival thang that’s sort of happening right now. Their recorded music has a bit more of an old-fashioned, Velvet Underground Loaded era tint to it. Darlings were the band I had the highest expectations of, so it’s no surprise that I wasn’t as blown away as I thought I’d be. They’re very good, but slightly more derivative than I’d hoped. I think the lead singer’s voice is just the right mix of boyishly innocent and arrogantly jaded, but I want to compare them to the Strokes, and I’m not totally sure that’s a good thing. All told, though, I liked them a lot.
Boogie Boarder ended the night. At this point, there’d been a disturbance by the cops, countless beers consumed, and lots and lots of rain. The crowd had thinned, but the Skidmore-originated group put on a truly weird mostly, noisy performance that definitely inspired something in everyone. Some were rapt, some were scrambling for ear plugs, but they certainly provoked a reaction. A high energy performance from a fascinating band, though not for the faint of heart or the more pop-inclined listener.
*All photos from this show are by Jeremy Freeman. You can visit his website here. Drawing by the lovely Ms. Meredith Leich.
Dinosaur Feathers:
pow wow!:
Darlings:
Boogie Boarder:
