Hospitality played at Cake Shop, photos
Download “Betty Wang” | As I’ve just returned from watching Portland’s Au at Monkeytown, Brooklyn’s pop-rock quartet Hospitality is going to suffer a bit in my review of their show at Cake Shop. Sorry guys, but all of this begins with the little wonder known as a melodica. Au’s show began with Luke Wyland blowing into one, and though I will tell you more about this in the next post, it will suffice to say now that he filled that small instrument with such a soul awakening that it seemed possible that rocks, too, were capable of waking to their own sweet melody-making. The thing is, when Hospitality brought out a melodica at their Cake Shop set, I was excited; however, it was played pretty sloppily, as was the keyboard, for the most part, and the bass and drums were just decent, though I have to give credit to the drummer for giving the harmonica a little spirit. In conclusion I think the band needs more rehearsal time, and to be fair it’s not all that easy with day jobs, which many emerging bands have to deal with in this glorious city of New York. However, I still like Hospitality, and I intend to keep track of their activities. Singer Amber Papini has a promising personality, a fitting voice for the kind of songs they make, and she’s proved quite capable of seemingly nonchalant yet snarky lyrics, such as that involving the useless BA degree in English.
Continued after the jump.
As a venue Cake Shop has its advantages and disadvantages. While it mostly provides a hype-free and friendly environment, the audience present is not always there for the music. Amber’s stern reminders that they were about to play a song or make some music were probably an indication of that discomfort. A more eager listener asked, however, when they were playing next, and it seems they’ll be opening for Stereolab at Irving Plaza later this year.
Cake Shop
August 7, 2008
