Summer is finally here and you know what that means: super cool gigs taking place all over the city, all of the time.
Baeble Music hooked us up with an invite to their first of many Bands and Brews Happy Hour sessions that took place in the midst of Industry City and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. The session was scheduled to go on from 6-9 p.m., setting a nice precedent for those who had just sat through a long day at work and needed a quick fix of brewskis and good music to unwind. As soon as I walked into the venue – the beautiful courtyard located in Industry City, Brooklyn – my jaw dropped at the sight of what seemed to be an infinite number of fairy light strands connecting the towering warehouses lined up on opposite sides. The contrast provided by the intimidating industrial vibe radiating off the buildings and the meticulously cleaned up courtyard made me feel like I was walking into a summer vortex that teleported me away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The wooden floor located in the middle of the venue provided the perfect illusion of beach bummin’ and the stage was strategically placed as close as possible to the viewing area to make the audience and performers join together as one. I could have easily touched the musicians at any given moment during their performances had I not tried really, really hard to refrain from looking like a fool.
Industry City Courtyard
People started pouring in at about 6:30 p.m. in anticipation for the evening’s first act: the ultra talented Carl Broemel. You might know him as the guitarist for a small band called My Morning Jacket. This guy absolutely killed it. He defined the phrase ‘beauty in simplicity’ by taking the stage alone with the sole aid of a looping pedal and a couple of guitars and his angelic voice. This man might be one of the most effortlessly cool people I’ve ever had the fortune of seeing perform. Halfway through his second song, right before it reached its climax, he made a mistake and casually brushed it off with an “ah, shit” before blowing us away with an incredible tempo crescendo. And when we thought he couldn’t do anything more to impress us, he closed his set with a song off of his upcoming album, 4th of July‘(to be released August 19th), that consisted of looping a series of sounds that he created using only his black guitar, his voice, and a nifty sax. Broemel did a phenomenal job priming the audience for what was to follow.
Carl Boremel
In congruence with the sunset, Great Good Fine OK proceeded to take the stage wearing ultra nifty and, frankly, enviable jackets (see below). They started their set off strong with their smash hit, “Take it or Leave it” – aiming to boost the audience’s energy with their infectious dance moves. The synthpop elements of their music complemented the beach vibes being thrown off by the scenery perfectly! I was blown away by the lead singer, Jon Sandler’s, restless vocals. How people can belt out a series of tunes in tandem with bringing out some sick moves without passing out is beyond me, but major kudos to him. The audience was jamming hard by the time the third song, “Already Love,” and lost it when Luke Moellman tore it up on his MelleKAT PRO. They finished strong with “Always,” the highlight being how killer the bass line sounded live.
Great Good Fine OK
PC: @phillyparttwo
Canadian alternative rock sensation, Arkells, performed last and did a great job in preserving the audience’s energy levels after an afternoon full of dancing and drinking. They kicked off their set with “Come to Light,” belting out impressive harmonies that were enhanced by the electrifying pink sky in the background. Whilst their type of music isn’t something I’d listen to on the reg, I have to recognize that they did a fantastic job in engaging with the audience and hearing their Ontarian accents slip out was pretty much the most adorable thing ever. The highlight of their set was when they closed off the evening with what I assume is their most popular song given that everyone in the audience seemed to know the lyrics, “Leather Jacket.” They stepped down into the crowd and performed an acoustic version, with only the guitar belting out on the speakers, encouraging the audience to sing along with them. It was definitely a special moment to be a part of and the perfect way to bring the initial Bands and Brews Happy Hour sesh to a close.
Arkells
I’m looking forward to seeing what other tricks Baeble Music will pull out from their sleeve now that they’ve got the ball rolling!
