Harlem Shakes, Suckers, Air Waves at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Harlem Shakes played an explosive set at their record release party last night. You would’ve thought that the band I last saw at Red Eyed Fly in Austin was someone else. They were often aided by two members of Brooklyn’s Frances, including Julia Tepper; a mighty three-men horn section that consisted of Jon Natchez (previously of Beirut), amongst others; and at one point, by drummer Daoud of Air Waves. They played several older songs that the fans went nuts about, though I myself prefer the newer ones that are much more percussive. Interestingly enough, singer Lexy Benaim’s voice is one of the stronger elements on record, but his band mates’ charged appearances on stage easily overshadow him during live shows. In the end, though, I’m not quite sure if their aesthetic fits within my favorites, but there’s no denying that Harlem Shakes is one of the finer Brooklyn bands around right now. Plus, their drummer Brent Katz is fantastic, and evidently they know how to throw a party.
Download “Stricty Game” by Harlem Shakes
Suckers
The aesthetics of Suckers, on the other hand, is a perfect match for my taste, so it’s been a little impossible for me to not like their live shows. After setting up, Quinn Walker returned to the stage with his make up on; it was a more refined piece of work this time, compared to the previous ones I’ve seen. They played the usual live favorites, including “Roman Candle”, “It Gets Your Body Moving”, “Afterthoughts and TV”, “Horn Song”, etc., and a new song they wrote on their 3-day tour that they played regularly in Austin as well.
Download “Afterthougths and TV” by Suckers
Air Waves
It was nice to catch up with Air Waves, as I’d missed all their shows at SXSW. Nicole Schneit has a really nice voice, and I like the drumming style too. Juan Wauters of The Beets sat on a chair in the left corner of the stage and paged through a magazine while not singing. I got into a little bit of trouble with him for plugging my ear-plugs-less ears with my fingers. He called me a “baby” afterwards! There was one guitar amp that Air Waves and Suckers used that was way too loud and harsh where I was standing, though it was much more apparent in Air Waves due to the nature of their music. It washed out the drums and the bass a little, which was unfortunate, but when they switched to an acoustic guitar for the last two songs, it sounded perfect.
Download “Kingdom” by Air Waves
Websites: Harlem Shakes, Suckers, Air Waves
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