hooves on the turf

Download “Where Has Sally Gone” | Everyone from Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps seemed pretty likable, and they were quick to make new fans at their first-ever performance in New York City. Of the small crowd present last night–the room was half-full–it seemed most were friends of other bands playing: Measure, Olivia Mancini and Donny Hue are all local acts. Apart from myself, there were perhaps three others who knew of Caroline prior to the show: the band’s jovial mailing list guy, that guy’s friend, and another person Caroline greeted before the show. When the music got going, however, there were howls of approval, enthusiastic roars of applause; when it was time to announce they had only two more songs left, there was a unanimous expression of disappointment; finally as the last song came to a close, there was the request for an encore.

Continued, and all photos after the jump.

The show was a pleasure to watch, and the performance didn’t betray the recordings. The foundation of acoustic guitar, drums and bass guitar was accented with banjo, keyboard, xylophone and tambourine. The main strength is definitely Caroline’s voice, and the boys pulling forward to back her up with harmonized vocals help lift it up further. There was one cover song, “All My Loving” by the Beatles, which quite pleased the crowd. Afterward I heard a girl say she wanted to marry the bass player–great beginnings in New York City!

Pianos
East Village, New York City
August 21, 2008

Previously
The Americans, Christina Courtin, Caroline Smith & more tonight