SCENE REPORT: NEW YORK CITY

RECAP OF THE NEW YORK STOP ON THE EIY SPRING (INTO ACTION) TOUR

I’m used to being let down by shows in major cities, because usually either no one comes out, or they only come to see one band and then leave (worse than anywhere else) — or if they do come out, they don’t actually care about who is playing and stand in the back, talking over the bands.

Well… New York threw me for a loop at this show! I don’t know if it’s just because Heath from ExcessDB knows how to put on a good show, or if it’s because the bands did an amazing job promoting, or if it’s because there are a TON of young people in the city who are all passionate about building a career in music — or all of the above, combined — but this was a record-breaking show on this tour! First of all, it wins “biggest turnout” for the show (nearly 400 tickets sold); and is probably tied for first (with Baltimore) in “number of meet-up attendees,” as well as “number of non-musican attendees.” High-five, NYC!

The venue (Studio at Webster Hall) is a new, all-ages addition to the Webster Hall building, which was apparently the first modern nightclub in America, and the place where Bob Dylan made his first-ever recording? There is some awesome history in that building. We got a tour before the show, and it was fun to imagine the kinds of shows and people who had once filled the building in old world New York City. Very romantic. “The Studio” is downstairs, and has already had some amazing bands on its stage in the time it’s been open. Definitely go see a show here when you can!

Needless to say, the (very long) meet-up was totally different from the others, as there were so many young people already working internships, street teams, and entry level jobs — in addition to older, more established individuals doing all kinds of cool stuff in music and entertainment. I felt like I learned a lot from this meet-up, and it helped me get a good idea of what the job market is like for people who are hoping to get into the music industry. I was so inspired by what these kids are already doing; I can’t wait to see how they will change the music industry over the next decade!

I could have hung out and talked with that group for three more hours, but alas, we had an awesome showcase to tend to…

Here’s my recap:

Artist: F.Stokes from New York, NY (by way of Madison, WI)
This was the first hip hop artist we’ve seen on the tour, and I’d heard a lot of good things about him from friends and promoters in other parts of the country. It’s just him and a laptop, but within the first ten minutes he had everyone in the room sitting on the floors, and then he was in the crowd dancing with everyone, and by the end of his short set the whole room was in a great mood! This is a great example of how hip hop can easily cross over into the punk scene, thanks to that common thread known as DIY.
Check him out HERE.

Band: Gambit from Long Island, NY
They call themselves “sincere electronic pop” and I’d say that’s pretty accurate. Catchy songs played by a full band including one guy with a laptop. Sometimes the delivery was even (dare I say it) a bit too sincere? These guys definitely have their shit together, working some great day jobs and focusing heavily on doing what they love. Nice to meet a band that has its head in the right place!
Check them out HERE.

Band: Jack Miz from Brooklyn, NY
This band was a surprise. I hadn’t gotten to talk to them much before the show, and didn’t know what to expect. The band goes by the singer’s name and has that college/party pop rock thing going on, but in a likeable way. Great musicianship, and songs that sound like you might have heard them before, though you know you haven’t. They put on a really fun show, had everyone in the room dancing, and apparently have a crazy fanbase who knows all the words to the songs. At one point, everyone was singing so loudly that I turned to my friend and asked if it was a cover song. We even went so far as to Google the lyrics to see what song it was — but it wasn’t a cover song, it was an original! Nice. Definitely the strongest set of the night.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Stateside from New York, NY
These guys have been working really hard for a long time. Their fans and friends love them, and they are all extremely nice, genuine people. I had a hard time trying to define their sound because as soon as I thought I knew where they were going, they’d switch it to another genre. Sometimes there was singing, other times screaming. Sometimes pop and sometimes breakdowns. We’ve seen this kind of identity crisis before on the EIY Tour, and while it is always good to draw from a lot of different influences, it is important not to be SO scattered that you confuse your listeners. A band should be a cohesive unit that creates a one-of-a-kind, common thread in the art that they produce. With as big as this band’s heart is and as hard as they work, they’ll go far once they find that common thread for their music.
Check them out HERE.

Though it was not an easy decision by any means, we decided that it would be foolish not to give the EIY Spot to Jack Miz. His band was the obvious stand-out of the night, musically and otherwise, and we hope that he will bring the dance party to the Kevin Says Stage in Oceanport, NJ, and make NYC proud!

I left this show in extremely high spirits. I had a great night, got to see some good bands, and felt really inspired by everyone involved with the meet-up and the show. Big thank you to Heath for putting on such a successful event! Loved the venue and can’t wait to be back.

Love,
Sarah & EIY

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