All Photos: Brandon Bakus
Gerard Marcus
Ever have a blah day? Neither good nor bad, just bland? A day where it feels like it would take a miracle to get out of your tediously repetitive daily grind? I had one of those on Saturday, July 25th. Fortunately for my sanity and well-being, that also happened to be the day I went to see Memory Tapes play at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn.
The amazing performance from the headliners, as well as openers School Dance and Computer Magic, had the sort of psychically palliative effect that only music can provide. I snapped out of my rut and remembered what wonder the world around me could hold, and it was excellent. As usual, pics were taken.
School Dance
Sadly, we only arrive to catch the last fifteen minutes of School Dance's set, but all the same it was a wonderful way to whet our appetites for the music to come. "Peaceful, nice, and a little bit adorable" would probably best describe our short glimpse of the group, and the vocal stylings of Allison Lorenzen were immediately mesmerizing.
Computer Magic
Often, I'll hear about an artist or TV show or book from multiple friends but for whatever reason delay actually checking it out—who knows, maybe it's some kind of pathological need to find things on my own first. But that's exactly what happened with NYC-based electronic pop artist Computer Magic, whose set at Baby's will go down as one of my favorite I've seen all year.
...Makes me wonder if I should listen to my friends more.
The sheer quality of the sound coming off the stage was incredible, a mix of super rich electronics and tight live drums. And the stunning visual work was a perfect match for the already gripping presence of the band's creative mind Danielle "Daz" Johnson, whose performance was wonderfully crisp and focused.
In the end, though, I think it was so enthralling because it surprised me. I just didn't expect it to be quite so good. If someone called me right now and told me Computer Magic was playing within any reasonable distance, I would first get mad at them for interrupting the Computer Magic song I was listening to at the time, then drop everything and go without hesitation. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I suggest you do the same.
Memory Tapes
While I've been familiar with almost all of Memory Tapes' catalog for a while now, this show at Baby's was the first time I've ever seen them live—and rarely, if ever, have I seen performers look so much like two normal-ass dudes who wandered onstage by accident. It was actually quite refreshing to see a show with mind-blowing music but none of the pomp.
It's been a while since we've heard from Dayve Hawk, and you really got a sense of that from the audience. There was an almost reunion-like quality to the show, which was very cool to witness.
This stop was towards the end of his tour, and he performed with the comfort and relief of someone heading back home after a long journey. All in all, it was a great show. I don't know if Memory Tapes are coming out with a new album anytime soon, but if they do I'll definitely be looking out for the tour dates.