If only one word could be used to describe Tuesday evening, I would aptly choose anticipation.
While New Yorkers begrudgingly awaited the next onslaught of bad weather with nervous expectations, a small pocket of indie rock fans and music industry professionals took to the streets with a measured eagerness induced by two promising young artists – Walk the Moon and Rich Aucoin.
First on the docket was Walk the Moon, who opened the Panic! at the Disco record release celebration being held at the Bowery Ballroom. While the venue was decked out with all sorts of creepily Victorian fair for the theatrical headliner, the early part of the evening belonged to the bright-eyed quartet from Cincinnati, OH, that has created quite a stir with their brand of indie-pop.
The band’s sound seems to touch on everything hot right now with the quirky song-craft of Vampire Weekend, the catchy synth-pop of Passion Pit and the mass appeal of The Killers, but it’s the blending of these styles that helps paint a very bright future for these young men.
Keep an eye out for Walk the Moon – they have generated a lot of hype without using the frenzied machine so one can only imagine where they will land once the pieces fall into place.
Check out the video for their standout track “Anna Sun” below:
On my walk home I decided to pop my head into Pianos to check out a new act that a friend of mine was representing. Much like the evening’s first stop, there was little known about the artist except that he is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is friends with Dan Deacon. If you can decipher anything from that description, then you are light years ahead of this music enthusiast.
What I found was Rich Aucoin, a lanky solo artist (he plays with a band when it is financially viable) who was dressed head-to-toe in white with glow sticks taped to his arm and an arsenal of glow rings that illuminated the dark performance space. There were also various projections behind Aucoin that ranged from viral Youtube videos, 3D classic clips like the Grinch and bulky lyrics that reminded me of the Cee-Lo video.
Aucoin was a grab bag of entertainment with confetti, strobe lights and even a parachute, (yes, the one from Kindergarten that you played with in the gymnasium).
Rich Aucoin isn’t all tricks and misdirection; his shtick only enhances his electro-pop sound and positive message behind his lyrics. At the heart of it, Aucoin just wants to party and get people dancing so if you’re planning to see one of the remaining shows during his Tuesday night residency at Pianos, show up ready for a good time.
Leave your crossed arms and hipster posturing at home and just let loose – you’ll be glad you did.
