The first sign of a worthwhile night has to be a pizza shaped stamp on your hand, despite it’s meaning of “underage.”
Last Wednesday, The Accidentals stirred up the crowd at the Mercury Lounge in downtown New York City. The self dubbed “introverts and nerds”, hailing from Michigan, brought more than just cheers to the tight venue. The multifaceted musicians proved themselves worthy of attention from their first steps on stage, to their final bow.
The band started off to an excited crowd, “woo” seeming to be the operative noise that night. The first thing I noticed, other than the door-to-stage packed room, was the charisma of the band. It’s one thing to get a crowd energized and pumped, but to connect with them on an extremely real level is something that not many acts can pull off gracefully. This can easily be attested to the two frontwomen Sav Buist and Katie Larson. With laugh inducing anecdotes before each song, the girls created a strong atmosphere and connection with the crowd. Not only is their abundance of talent overwhelmingly obvious, but it is humbled by their friendly, warm personas.
The Accidentals (3.4.2016) | B.Hockensmith Photography
Despite the name, The Accidentals are a well rehearsed group with a corset-tight dynamic. Their level of talent grew throughout the set, as they switched instruments fluidly.
The perpetual energy from the band carried the set. Synchronized head bangs and clashing of instruments paid tribute to the evidently tight bond within group. As songs like “Parking Lot” came to an climax, drummer Michael Dause and keyboardist Jake Allen aided the frontwomen in creating a cacophony of skillfully crafted song. As the song grew louder and hotter, the stage lit up in shades of red and purple, highlighting the band’s intensity.
When a technical issue delayed the next song, Sav and Katie stepped in to keep the crowd engaged, sharing stories of roadies and past shows, proving once more that they know how to keep things interesting.
The roaringly skillful set came to an explosive close. As Allen creatively plucks away at the guitar, Buist and Larson rip at the cello and violin, dancing to Dause’s beat. The finale sounded like an irish jig meets country meets alternative, which resonated well with the crowd. A very long, dramatic pause before the last fiery clash of instruments showing us one last time how fun this band really is.
The Accidental’s debut LP Odyssey is out 8/18.
