Lisa Loeb is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who was the first unsigned artist to have a number one platinum-selling single, her hit “Stay (I missed you),” without a recording contract.
TWELV Night – Lemonade, Chairlift, and Washed Out at House of Vans
Five hundred anxious New Yorkers stretched down blocks of Franklin Street last night – and not just for the complimentary booze. The free beer that awaited them inside was only a perk of the free, public concert experience a la Brooklyn’s House of Vans. Every few weeks of summer, this hollowed-out, white washed garage in hippest-of-them-all Greenpoint becomes a hub for young music lovers to dress up, drink up, and groove to their favorite new bands. Tonight’s bill answered the question: “what makes this synthesizer different from all other synthesizers?” as a trifecta of 80’s-influenced, rump-shaking electronic acts bowled over the eager crowd.
The night’s openers, Lemonade, brought enough high-octane dance pop to strike up some movement in the world’s fold-your-arms-and-sway capital. Their club-length drum kit blues drew up a crowd, and kept it there as jungle-y tom-toms hit. The TWELV team joined the swarm of revelers breaking it down in front of the stage.
Once saturated by citrus, House of Vans ate up the saccharine hooks of Brooklyn’s own Chairlift. Their newly raccoon-haired frontwoman, Caroline Polachek had the whole crowd transfixed with her seamless voice and far-out style. Their set ranged from slow and steamy to up-tempo synth rock reminiscent of The Cure. During their most recognizable single, “Bruises”, Polachek cited her 80’s ancestors by sampling a quick chorus of Modern English’s “I Melt With You”. A good thaw was had by all.
By the time Washed Out graced the stage, a tired, knee-locked and sweat-drenched audience perked up like prairie dogs at the first waves from Ernest Greene’s synthesizer. The hour that followed was pure pop heroism, with big, shimmery anthems and a dazzling light show. The crowd fell into Washed Out’s watery dream, and bathed themselves in plumes of pot smoke. Later, Chairlift’s Polachek reappeared on stage and lent her cotton-soft vocals to “You and I”. Their bombastic closer, “Eyes Be Closed”, inspired waving arms and wide smiles. For an hour, it seemed like nothing could pry this corner of New York from cloud nine.
Check out photos of the event by Naoko Takagi.
Setlists
Lemonade
Sister
Neptune
Ice Water
Big Changes
Softkiss
Big Weekend
Chairlift
Sidewalk Safari
Take It Out On Me
Wrong Opinion
Ghost Tonight
Met Before
Cool As A Fire
Bruises
I Belong In Your Arms
Evident Utensil
Amanaemonesia
Washed Out
Hold Out
Far Away
Get Up
New Theory
You and I
You’ll See It
Before
Feel It All Around
Amor Fati
Eyes Be Closed
By Aaron Lindenberg
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