sevensevenseven #3
featuring bedridden, stranger ranger, they hate change, girlpool, arctic monkeys, sports team, haley heynderickx, slowthai, porches, kenny beats, phoenix, shame, and more.
Welcome to #3 of this thing. People have been so extremely supportive of this project and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kind words. It feels great to finally have a creative outlet of my own and the cherry on top is that people actually like it.
Alicia and Blakely contributed words to this edition and I appreciate their time and thoughts so much. I love seeing shows with them even more than I love hearing about what they think about the shows we go to. I’m really lucky to have friends like that and be in a community of people who love music as I do. This whole thing has made me too emotional so I’ll stop rambling so you can get to reading. Enjoy!
SEVEN SHOWS YOU NEED TO SEE
9/17 Haley Heynderickx at Music Hall of Williamsburg - Haley Heynderickx is such an underrated sad girl singer-songwriter. She should be mentioned in the same breath as Phoebe, Julian, Lucy, Mitski, and others, but she’ll reach this status once she follows up 2018’s I Need to Start a Garden. I kind of assumed that she was a household name, her sound is so full and her folk-jazz inspirations bleed through so clearly. Start where I did and listen to “Oom Sha La La” and then check out “Show You a Body” when you’re really sad. Then, go see her at Music Hall tonight!
9/17 + 9/18 indieplaza 2022 - Rough Trade is taking over Rockefeller Center for the weekend and I can’t wait. I’ll be there at least on 9/17 (TODAY!) for They Hate Change and Horsegirl, so come hang! I’ll cover this one in more detail in the next edition, everyone knows how I feel about Horsegirl and you can read about They Hate Change below because I saw them open for Shame last week!
9/20 + 9/27 Stranger Ranger at Baby’s All Right - Stranger Ranger returns to NYC for a residency at Baby’s, which is such a dream. Fire Talk signed the band earlier this year, releasing an expanded edition of their third album No Light In Heaven. Stranger Ranger embodies an exciting pop movement on the East Coast that embraces the combination of glitchy electronic beats and emotion-filled melodies. I really like Stranger Ranger to begin with, but knowing how their sound has evolved from simplistic (but solid) indie rock to their present-day boundary-pushing rock makes me like them so much more. They’re playing Baby’s with sadie and Lazlo and the Hidden Strength on 9/20 and then Djing on 9/27. Don’t miss it!
9/20 Tits Dick Ass at The Broadway - When a band is Martini G approved, that’s when you know they’re good. I keep hearing about Tits Dick Ass and it’s not just because it’s a name you can’t forget. I haven’t been able to catch them yet, but their trans punk wall of sound is energy is something worth checking out. It seems like an empowering live experience. Frida Kill and Theophobia are opening the show, get there early.
9/21 Sports Team at Mercury Lounge - Sports Team is one of those bands I haven’t missed a single time since they played their first New York show in 2019 at Elsewhere’s Zone One. They are the band everyone loves to hate, but I’m not too cool to like Sports Team. This spring, they just did three shows in a week here, which was kind of the best week of the year. They’re coming back to Mercury Lounge next week with a series of solid singles off their new record, GULP!. See you there!
9/22 Girlpool at Elsewhere - Girlpool’s last NYC show ever is this week, which came up on me way too quickly. I feel like I grew up alongside Girlpool who have developed into this dream pop powerhouse over the last few years, while never losing the lyrical wisdom I love them for. We’ve all had a moment with “Before the World Was Big,” but I honestly love the sonic experience that is their latest album Forgiveness. Avery and Harmony have been working towards this moment of peak pop for their entire career and it’s sort of heartbreaking that they’re going their separate ways at this moment. You know a band is good through and through when their publicist posts a notes app statement about the band’s breakup, which really hit me hard. This will be an emotional night, prepare accordingly.
9/22 Arctic Monkeys @ Kings Theatre - It feels like every time Arctic Monkeys are going to drop an album, they do a little underplay in New York. The last one was at Brooklyn Steel, where they played the hits and I was surrounded by British accents while drinking really expensive G&Ts. They played the hits and nothing but the hits. When this underplay was announced, it made me realize how tiny Kings Theatre is. It feels sacrilegious to have an Arctic Monkeys show in a seated venue. I tried to get a ticket to this one and I’m certainly not going to pay $250 to get in like last time, so I think this is going to be one I’ll hear about from the world’s biggest AM fan, Malena Lloyd.
SEVEN SHOWS YOU WISH YOU WENT TO
9/8 Shame, They Hate Change at First Unitarian Church - Shame, shame, shame. That’s the fucking name. It’s very fitting that the first out-of-town show I feature in this thing is a Shame show. This return to Philadelphia to see Shame for the first time in three years at a church after one of my last shows of theirs was in Philly at the now defunct Boot and Saddle feels like a full-circle moment. I think this show being in a church was definitely a driving factor in my attendance, just out of pure curiosity, along with the absolutely killer bill. I mean, how many punk shows have you been to in a church? How many GOOD punk shows have you seen in a church?
We got to church around doors, where I had my ID in my hand, ready to buy a beer. And of course, they didn’t serve alcohol. People were walking around with full cases of beer or if you’re Monica Kurowski, a case of the worst canned mixed drink I’ve ever had. I think it was supposed to taste like a mojito. Anyways, The First Unitarian Church marks your wrist with sharpie upon entry and offers pretzels and Kirkland brand water to complement the lack of AC. It was a pretty masked crowd, wearing n95s with Shame shirts. They Hate Change was on first and I feel a bit biased because Andre and Vonne are truly the best people ever, but their live performance is objectively obsessive. They wear these white Tyvek suits, which alone should award them medals of honor because that church basement was dangerously hot. I’ve never seen people so actively engage with their audience as they do, even when it’s an opening set with an audience that is mostly unfamiliar. They played that basement like it was Madison Square Garden, they’ll quickly be playing huge rooms, so you should be a fan of theirs now. I meant to take notes during the set about what songs they played, but the whole set flows so well together that I was sort of mesmerized. Basically, I’m completely obsessed and I feel like the whole world will be soon. What a perfect opener for Shame, who has honestly gotten so much better over the years. Shame played so many of their new songs which are actually all immaculate and some of their best work yet. I’m going to need to hear “Orchid” again immediately. It’s always fun to see Josh run back and forth all over the stage, which makes me wonder why more people don’t do that. Steen still stands up on top of the crowd for “The Lick,” which never gets old. It felt like a night of celebration and a return to 2019, everyone hanging out in Philly on the day the queen died. I’m excited to see them again at Brooklyn Steel soon, which will be the biggest place they’ve ever played in New York I think? That crowd will smell bad, but I’ll see you there.
9/9 Phoenix, Porches at Radio City Music Hall - We rallied the group chat to go see Phoenix at Radio City, but only Malena and I showed up. No hate, it had been a long week, but I’m so glad I didn’t bail because it’s a show I’ll be reeling about for a long time to come. We sat in our god-given seats for Porches, who played like they owned the place. I’ve been on such a Porches kick lately and I regret not seeing them at Gold Sounds earlier this summer because this was my first time seeing Porches, at an almost barren Radio City. I hope they saw Malena and I having a ball way up in the nose bleeds because we ate every moment of their show up. Sometimes an opener is actually such a good match for the headliner; Phoenix and Porches were a match made in heaven. It was my first time seeing Phoenix and Malena had only seen them at festivals. Attending a show at Radio City feels so special to me, it feels like going to the opera. We got tired of our god-given seats right before Porches went on and went down to the floor to sit in some empty seats. Why was this a celebrity event? Lindsey Buckingham, Sophia Coppola, Clairo, Christopher Abbott, Bill Murray, and other important-looking people sat all around us before we realized we were in the friends and family section. Who said I’m not a friend of Thomas Mars? We made our way out to a less intimidating spot eventually and lost our shit among people who love “Lisztomania.” I hate a seated show. How am I supposed to dance to one of the best bands of the 2000s? We survived though and they played hit after hit. Phoenix is one of those bands that can’t make a bad song, even if I’m not obsessed with their new music, I can’t say it’s bad. Basically, I feel bad for you if you weren’t there having as much fun as we did.
9/9 Bedridden at The Gutter - After Phoenix, I waited 20 or so minutes for the F train with Malena to make my way to Williamsburg to see Quarters at The Gutter. I love seeing Quarters and I love seeing a show in a place that’s new to me, so this would’ve been perfect if I didn’t show up right before Bedridden went on. I was bummed I missed Quarters, but getting to see Bedridden was a treat. They remind me of Fugazi, but with a more refined discordance. There’s a bit of the heaviness of Jawbreaker as well. Jade brought up a great point on the way home that it’s always awesome to see a three-piece band that rocks. I think a three-piece band has to work harder to maintain good chemistry, so it’s also impressive to see that in motion. My favorite song of the night was the song about billiards. The leader singer said, “This song is about playing billiards because I got manically obsessed with playing billiards for a while and it was bad for my mental health. So I wrote a song about it.” There was a bit of angst in the air that night, which rings true to Bedridden’s cathartic performance. I hope to see them again soon, maybe at a normal time and a normal place.
Ethel Cain’s NYC Takeover
9/9 Ethel Cain at Bowery Ballroom - 9/10 - Ethereal. Whenever I talk to someone about Ethel Cain, everyone always uses the word ethereal. And sure, you could say she is (as google states) “extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.” However, I think Ethel Cain brings so much more to pop music and the pop culture scene, and her first of several shows in NYC from this past week proved it. Entering Bowery Ballroom on a bustling Friday night in LES, you could feel this energy in the air. Working for the venue, I attend a lot of shows at Bowery, so let me preface that while the room is certainly a place of wonder, tonight was different. The idea that you and everyone else were about to witness a small slice of history being made was seeping out of the venue walls. Adoring fans packed the main floor and mezzanine. Whether screaming or silent, all were in shock watching Ethel walk on stage and start to sing “Strangers”. Her set consisted of streaming favorites like “American Teenager” and “Crush”, but it was the deep cuts from Preacher’s Daughter, her self-released breakout album, where the invisible electricity went awry. I personally recorded more than I’d like to admit of “Thoroughfare”, a song that’s sure to be in my Spotify Wrapped this year. Jackie said to me during her closing song that they hadn’t been to a show like this in a while, and I agreed. - Alicia Chapatwala
9/10 Ethel Cain at Bowery Ballroom - Out of the graciousness of our queen Alicia’s heart, I ventured to Bowery Ballroom last Saturday to have myself a night out alone and see Ethel Cain. I don’t often go to shows alone, which makes it so special when I do. I got there early to check out her opener, who is her band’s guitarist and as Bailey pointed out, sounds too much like Alex Turner. My favorite place to watch a show at Bowery is in the front corner near the door by the stage. You’re close to the stage and have a perfect view of everything going on while still being able to lean against the wall. I ran into Bailey and her friends, which was actually perfect because I don’t know if that was a good show to go to alone. It gets deep and sad at points and you need a friend.
Watching Hayden perform was like watching a cooler Born to Die era Lana Del Rey perform for her fans for the first time; she was holding hands, taking gifts, and caressing faces. You could tell that she’s a fan of artists like Lana and Florence and mirroring the way they treat their fans with the utmost love and respect. Even while engaging with the audience, she commanded the room. There was constantly a choir of voices singing along to every song, even for the deep cuts of American Teenager. It was something I felt lucky to witness and be a part of.
9/12 Ethel Cain at Music Hall of Williamsburg - The girls got together to see Ethel Cain’s final NYC show and thank god it was at Bowery’s best room, Music Hall of Williamsburg. I love seeing friendly faces there and drinking a little ginger ale in the back. Malena, Lindsay, Blakely, and I ventured in right before she went on stage and got situated in the back corner after VIP was too packed for our liking. Hayden played the hits again and of course, I paid attention to her, but this time around I was taking in the people around me and how they were reacting to the show. I think she has the power to put the whole world in a trance because the whole room was mesmerized that night. Her live set proves how powerful of an artist she is and brings her recorded music to life in a way that I’ve never seen anyone else do. I feel really grateful to have seen the show twice while she was in New York and I’m excited to see her take on a bigger room next time.
9/13 Red Hot Chili Peppers at The Apollo - I’m still shocked that Bri entered a contest to see Red Hot Chili Peppers at The Apollo and won. I remember when this show was announced and Bri wanted to go so badly. She did and took me as her plus one, so she should inspire us all to enter more contests. It was surreal to go to Harlem for a show, let alone a show at The Apollo of all places in this city. After the hour train ride from Bushwick, I met Bri in line where we were most definitely the youngest people there and some of the only people not wearing Chili Peppers merch. This was one of those Sirius XM underplays, so there was a radio guy walking around asking people their favorite songs. Luckily, a pregnant woman was happy to be interviewed behind us, so we weren’t grilled on our knowledge. The line got moving eventually and on the way in everyone was handed in an envelope with a random pair of tickets. We were graced with first-row mezzanine seats, a pair of seats so coveted this guy tried to pay us $40 to switch with him. Yeah, only $40. Did we look stupid or unemployed? Not a chance in the world considering you couldn’t see anything past like the 7th row of the mezzanine unless you were sitting and there was no one in front of you. So interesting to be at a seated show among a crowd of people who go to shows maybe 3 times a year, especially for the second time in a week. Especially at the fucking Apollo, especially having access to an open bar. A few free beers later and the show began, no opener, just Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was truly impressive to see a band with such a seasoned history still bring the energy. Bri and I were foaming at the mouth watching John Frusciante play guitar, he is a master, it was nasty. Of course, as a man said to us in White Castle afterward, “It’s the Chili Peppers"!” It’s the Chili Peppers, of course, it was going to be insane.
9/16 Kenny Beats, Slowthai at Central Park Summerstage - Malena took me to see slowthai in Central Park, it was fun. He took his shirt off a couple songs in and told us he thinks he's been eating too much pizza (he looks fine). He played a new song about feeling good, plus the hits — "Psycho" and "Doorman," etc. The crowd wasn't completely dead but just made me want to see him in the UK where by all accounts the pit is actually life-threatening. Kenny Beats was the headliner and brought out special guests, Smino and Bowen from Idles, that was cool. But my favorite part of the night was learning that Kenny's government name is Kenneth Charles Blume III. - Blakely Annarino
9/16 Julia Jacklin at Brooklyn Steel - I wrote about this show in the last edition, imploring everyone to check out Julia and come to this show, but the show was so good I need to talk about her again. It was a sold-out show with 1000+ people, so obviously, people get what I’m talking about. I was Lindsay’s date to this one after annoying Lindsay about her for months. She’s a Pre Pleasure fan, I’m a Crushing fan. Both albums prove Julia to be one of the best lyricists of our time. Not only does Julia make amazing music, but she has awesome merch too. Lindsay and I were carrying a shirt, a sweatshirt, a record, and the posters I stole from the walls of the venue by the end of the night. We basically funded her dinner or something.
We went for a glass of wine before and made it to the show right before she went on. I was expecting her to open up the night with “Comfort,” which is my favorite Julia song because I’m sick and twisted. She was losing her voice though, which I could not even tell until she told the audience, so it was cut from the set. “to Perth, before the border closes” was a surprise to me though, as it was a Sub Pop single last year that really hit me. Julia’s live show was made by her backing band, but her solo moments could bring me to tears in the right moment. It feels rare that I love an artist and everything about their sonic world this much, but Julia is a rare artist in the sad girl landscape. I wish she did two nights because I would gladly be in the audience for that again.
Turning Green by Sweet Tooth
Bull Believer by Wednesday
Thorn by Pendant
Into Light by Billy Star
(With Respect To) Royal Serfs by Disq
Promise by Knifeplay
It’s Like A Secret by Skullcrusher