Show Review: Abby Jeanne & the Shadowband, Skorts, Shred Flinstone at Tompkins Square Park.
June 30th, 2024.
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“Holy fuck” - Someone watching Skorts
July 1st, 2024
Our minds were blown yesterday in Tompkins Square Park thanks to local event organizer Show Brain. They curated an incredible lineup of artists: Abby Jeanne & the Shadowband, Skorts, Shred Flinstone, Miranda and the Beat, and Gustaf for a day full of stunning sound. Not only was the event free, it set us free as well. Here’s what we have to say about it.
Abby Jeanne & the Shadowband began with a rockabilly-esque song about “Destiny's a bitch”. It was a more than fitting opening number, their frontwoman must have been able to see into the future. More on that later. Their songs surfed on sonic waves and a friend told us they felt like they had been transported to the beach. The Shadowband was locked into the groove and Abby Jeanne could howl and shout with power as well as spin a honey sweet melody. Their final song was a raucous celebration, every member turned loose a little bit. Like pressing on the gas pedal with a smirk to cruise over the speed limit.
The sun started to burn through the clouds and it got noticeably hotter. The great big ball of fire in the sky must have known that Skorts was about to do some scorching of their own. Deep, fuzzed out, gritty guitars paired with frontwoman’s soaring voices torched the spectrum of sound from both ends. This was our third time seeing them and they entered a heavy territory we haven’t yet experienced. A woman taking pictures near the front turned around in shock to mouth “HOLY FUCK” to her friends. The very next song they transitioned to a dance party which got the sizeable crowd they had gathered to get down and boogie.
Gray thunderclouds rolled in as Shred Flinstone shredded their opening notes. Tree branches all around swung aggressively as if they heard the rock and were ready to mosh. Then the rain came down in thick, heavy drops. During the most stomping song of the day. Hard rock raindrops. They played on with a whiplashing of punk energy and metal tones. At the end their frontman laid down his guitar in a storm of feedback, facing up to the sky as an offering, and ran away. Literally. He hurdled a fence, then another, disappearing into the park. A minute later he came sprinting in barefoot from the opposite end of the park to finish the job, their final sacrifice of sound.
But the rain didn’t stop. It came down harder, as if intimidated by Shred Flinstone, feeling like it had something to prove. The rest of the show was canceled. Destiny is a bitch, like Abby Jeanne had said at the start. It wasn’t fully canceled, Miranda and the Beat and Gustaf were able to play their sets at Berlin Under A. We did not see those though, we apologize to Miranda and The Beat/Gustaf. We escaped the storm to Niagara bar when the rain got heavy and were caught in our own storm of booze at the bar.
We left feeling thankful for the people at Show Brain for putting in the elbow grease necessary to put on such an amazing show, and for all the bands that showed up to play, rain & shine. Did your dumb ass miss a free show? Connect with Show Brain, Abby Jeanne & the Shadowband, Skorts, Shred Flinstone, Miranda and The Beat, and Gustaf so you can see them somewhere else!
| Keywords: | Tompkins Square Park | Abby Jeanne & The Shadowband | Skorts | Shred Flinstone | Miranda & The Beat | Gustaf | New York City |
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