Featurrre: Rrrat City Records 24 Most Memorable Performances of 2024.
December 21st, 2024.
----------
Recapping an electric year of rock with a list of hits
December 21st, 2024
The end of the year is quickly approaching, but before 2024’s flame flickers out we’d like to take a moment to reminisce on some of our most rocking moments of the year. We covered 140 bands across 42 shows, mostly in New York City but some elsewhere. And there were hundreds more groups and events that we didn’t cover. Still, we certainly were lucky enough to capture an eclectic slice of live music. These shows were great, even when they weren’t. And some left a lasting impression on us, so much so that we’ve compiled a list of our top 24 most memorable performances of 2024. Check it out:
24. MURF at The Woodshop, June 23rd.
A picture tells a thousand words, like this one of Minneapolis group MURF. What it doesn't show, though, is the crowd getting completely covered with torrential sprays of fake blood by the lead singer. We wrote in the full review that the sound tech was in the bathroom washing the blood off the microphone after the set. It was wholly appropriate, though. The band profuse sweat and deafening noise. There was a suitcase with wigs, clothes, and props in the middle of the pit. The performance was jarringly loud, intense, and most of all, bloody.
23. Spite Fuxxx in Purgatory, May 4th.
Spite Fuxxx closed out this heavy hitting Purgatory gig with flash and style. Their lead singer had an intricate microphone setup with an effect box taped to the grip, attached to an extra long cable that allowed them to walk out into the crowd. Hearing this warped, phased, and otherworldly vocal effects up close and personal was intoxicating. So much so for one front row couple that they intensely made out with each other for half the set.
22. Melody Fields at Arlene’s Grocery, March 9th.
Melody Fields came to NYC all the way from Sweden for the New Colossus Festival Shoegaze party, an all day rock extravaganza. They were polished and airtight with a very specific Liam Gallagher green parka jacket aesthetic. We liked their stage banter just as much as lush tunes. They combined male & female vocals with a full spectrum of instruments to potent effect.
21. Epoxy at Alphaville, February 29th.
Something about this entire night had a special mystique to it. February 29th is the leap year day, only coming around once every four years. So to put on a killer show on a day that usually doesn’t exist felt like some powerful kind of alchemy. Epoxy took full advantage of this rare earth moment. Dressed in suit and tie with shoes polished, we didn’t know what to expect from this trio, but it certainly wasn’t the thrashing screamo they let loose. The chaos was expertly controlled though, with precision drumming and ear-catching riffs. And it was only their second show ever.
20. Lollirot at Punk Island, June 8th.
Punk Island was hot, but Lollirot was hotter. In broad daylight under a beating sun they pulled no punches, playing punk rock straight from the heart. Only a trained ear would have caught their inclusion of a Nirvana cover in their set, Aneurysm. It blended in seamlessly with their own songs.
19. WAAH at Arlene’s Grocery, March 17th.
One of WAAH’s songs is called Sunn, which is fitting because their sound projects such a massive energy that it leaves the body feeling irradiated. Their syrupy drone-rock was in top form at this show. With simple, hypnotic bass lines, hard snapping drums, and verbed-out vocals, we felt caught up in some kind of magnificent solar storm of sound.
18. Flesh Produce at Trans Pecos, January 12th.
Our first of several Seattle bands on this list, Flesh Produce put on a glitch-punk masterclass. We had seen them play in Seattle the previous summer so we knew what to expect, but most of the rest of the audience did not and were left with their jaws on the floor. This duo packed more punch than most four pieces. We were so hyped about this show that we interviewed them the next day in Times Square.
17. Phil Spector’s Gun at Knitting Factory, January 14th.
Phil Spector’s Gun is from Philly and brought a refreshingly un-New York City sound to NYC. They rocked in a distinctly swampy, gritty, vagabond kind of way. We bought their Highway 61 Exploded CD immediately after their set, which is still in rotation. It was slightly deranged in a way that made us feel crazy too, and below all the dirt and psych was an instrumental creativity on all fronts.
16. Young Fresh Fellows at Bowery Electric, June 27th.
The Young Fresh Fellows, another Seattle group, was playing an NYC show for the first time in 23 years. These veterans released their first album, The Fabulous Sounds Of The Pacific Northwest, in 1984. This album is widely regarded as one of the crucial seeds of Seattle’s grunge era of the 90’s. They travelled through their extensive catalog with gusto and vigor, never even pausing to tune up. And the crowd sang along to every song.
15. Green Day at Nationals Park, July 29th.
We’ve been Green Day fans forever, so to see them play the entirety of Dookie, American Idiot, and then some, at Washington D.C.’s Nationals Park, was nothing short of spectacular. Every generation was in attendance. That’s all we need to say.
14. Beautiful Freaks at Alphaville, August 3rd.
Another standout Seattle band, Beautiful Freaks were touring to support the release of their debut album,We Talk To Birds. They could do both grating punk and sweet pop rock, sometimes fusing bits of both together. A running theme you’ll see here is that the Seattle bands craft a musical aura that is distinctly their own. Their sour patch sound gave us such a sugar high that we didn’t even wait for the show to end to buy their CD.
13. Shred Flinstone at Washington Square Park, June 30th.
This was our first time attending Show Brain’s expertly curated outdoor concerts at Washington Square Park. The entire lineup was great, but Shred Flinstone’s set was so electric and thunderous that they summoned a midday storm. It turned out to be so intense that the rest of the show was postponed and moved to Berlin Under A.
12. Cardiel in Purgatory, May 25th.
Hailing from Venezuela/Mexico and forming in 2010, Cardiel were veteran performers and put on a show as such. A fascinating mix of punk, stoner rock, psych, and reggae, this duo had a seemingly endless well of genre they pulled from. Their tempo and velocity was a white knuckle roller coaster ride.
11. Trophy Wife at Mercury Lounge, May 30th.
Learning that Trophy Wife’s members are Berklee grads makes sense because this band has a commanding musicality to them. At this show they were gearing up to release their debut album Get Ugly and were teasing songs from it. They were the opener of this show but based on the starstruck expression of many faces in the crowd, they would have shined just as bright as the headliner.
10. Truckfighters at Knockdown Center, September 14th.
A standout of the stoner/doom rock festival Desertfest, this Swedish group, formed in 2001, expanded our horizons as to what is possible with low end. We’re just going to quote what we said in the original review. “Imagine speeding straight down a lonely highway at 120 miles an hour... in a monster truck, slowly bouncing from the springy suspension as the world raced by your view in a blur. Through a dense stage haze of fog, Truckfighters delivered thunder-sludge.”
9. Zookraught at Alphaville, October 11th.
Zookraught is another Seattle powerhouse that crossed the country to grace our whiskers. They were on their Vida Violet tour to support the release of their debut album of the same name. Part of their one of a kind flavor was the fact that all three members could sing/scream, sometimes all at once. And they shared space vocally, each bringing a distinct character and emotion into their songs.
8. MX Lonely at Gold Sounds, April 13th.
There’s something about the combination of male & female vocals that elevates a piece of music. MX Lonely has this going for them but also captures a broody heaviness through detailed guitar work that extends outside of the realm of riffage. But when the moment called for it, they could riff like nobody's business. This show was a packed bill of six string crunch that ran well past midnight, and MX Lonely was the perfect headliner, crushing the crunch into a fine powder.
7. Skorts at Sultan Room, July 10th.
We caught a fleeting glimpse of Skorts for the first time at Punk Island. They were deconstructing the final notes of their set and from these few short seconds we knew we’d have to see them in full somewhere. We probably covered them more than any other group in 2024. Because they’re that good, every time. At this show in particular they melted faces from the UFO looking Sultan Room stage. They took some time to interview after the show and we’re waiting for their album with bated breath.
6. Partygirl at The Broadway, May 24th.
This really was a party. What we remember most from this performance was how ecstatic it was. Every member of this Partygirl six piece gave it their all for this raucous performance and the sold out crowd was more than happy to come along for the ride. We took photos on a disposable camera that’s still undeveloped that will prove this to be true. And just ask anyone who was there.
5. Laurel Canyon at Arlene’s Grocery, March 23rd.
We were blown away by Laurel Canyon. They had the look, they had the attitude, but most importantly they knocked it out of the park with their songs. They made hard rock fun, which is a delicate razors edge to walk. In our review we likened them to the Blues Brothers, calling them the Psych Rock Cousins. They played unforgettable Rock and Roll without overcomplicating anything.
4. Fcukers and LCD Soundsystem at Knockdown Center, December 13th.
We’re including both of these acts because they were both incredible and complemented each other perfectly. Opener Fcukers brough a playful, sensual sass to the dance floor and LCD Soundsystem is, well, LCD Soundsystem. People at this show were getting their groove on at a level comparable to a rave.
3. Black Flag on a Fucking Boat, August 5th.
You read that right. With Greg Ginn on guitar and Mike Vallely behind the microphone, we rocked out with Black Flag on a boat. Evening turned to night as we floated down the East River under NYC’s towering bridges and around the Statue of Liberty to the roaring sound of My War and many other Black Flag classics. With intoxicating company on a warm summer night, this was a show we won’t soon forget.
2. Holiem at Mercury Lounge, March 31st.
We saw Holiem several times in 2024. They are so dedicated to the game that they played this show on Easter Sunday. They wielded such control and dexterity over their instrumentation that they evoked for us a mood of sweet psychic contemplation. Each member individually was firing on all cylinders, making the intricate details of their songs stand out even more. Two of their members disembarked from the group after this show so it was the apex of Holiem’s first evolution. We know that they’ve been laboring in the studio recently and can’t wait to experience the shape of their next evolution.
1. Sleewell at The Meadows, January 6th.
There’s nothing like your first time, and our first time witnessing Sleepwell left us sleepless. They limbered up before their set like cage fighters under a stage of solid red light, looking like the cover of Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights. Then the onslaught began, with a single crushing note of bass that reverberated through our eyes and made the hair on our arms stand up. Their hard edge flavor of heavy speed punk inspired true terror from us and many others in attendance. Equally melodic and distressingly dissonant, their music captured our spirit and then dangled it out a window.
That’s our 2024 in a nutshell, we can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store! We’re looking to expand our coverage both inside and outside of NYC, so big things coming soon. Thanks for reading, Rrrat Pack, hope you discovered some new music!
