Show Review: Glimmer, Holiem, Dyeboy, Autumn Rhythm at Main Drag Music
----------
Life can be such a drag
January 27, 2024
Yesterday we stumbled out to see the Friday Night Lights. The band Glimmer, that is. Together with Holiem, Dyeboy, and Autumn Rhythm, they lit up Brooklyn’s Main Drag Music for an evening of deafening fun. It was our first time at the shop/venue combo and we’ll definitely be back for more. An inspiring showroom of guitars, amps, keyboards, and assorted equipment lived upstairs with a small hallway leading to the cavernous downstairs stage. We even bought ourselves a used Line 6 DL4 mk1 before leaving that we’re excited to play around with.
Glimmer was first to grace the stage. Their set was a soundtrack to vivid daydreaming. Songs were thick, pulsing, and danceable. The rock was controlled yet uplifting. They felt familiar too, like watching a favorite movie for the 10th time. Besides the tunes they had flexi disc vinyl at the merch table. In the analogue age these types of paper thin records would be included as inserts in magazines as if they were just another page. All around cool vibes.
Holiem began their set with an invitation to the audience to come real close, then opened with a thrasher. We classified that move as “Chaotic Neutral” on the alignment chart. This was our second time seeing Holiem so we were not too surprised, but we quickly got surprised. New songs were on the setlist which skillfully expanded the band's sound beyond the loud and screaming starter template. They’ve been practicing and it showed. One track had a radio ready intro, building slow tension with dynamic nuance, leading to a crushingly satisfying release. Their debut EP will be dropping in February so keep your eyes peeled.
Dyeboy was in town from D.C. to show us all the meaning of “power” in the term “power trio”. They wasted no time getting down to business, alternating between clean tones and roaring peaks. We watched the sound guy sitting at the board check his decibel meter. It read 105 and he nodded in approval. Each member was musically distinct but all locked in. Their bassist flew up and down their frets with the dexterity of a spider.
Autumn Rhythm closed out the evening. Our first impression was “crunchy” but we had to recognize that we were also standing right next to a six foot pair of loudspeakers. A better description might be “lush”. Songs were dense yet optimistic, like watching a sunrise and believing that it’s going to be a good day. Their lead guitarist was sporting a Hotline TNT jersey that he picked up just the previous night from their Brooklyn Steel show, which we were also at and covered in this article. The crowd felt the joyous optimism as well. Spot Me 100 walked to the edge of the stage to rip a solo and half a dozen arms reached out towards the strings to do some magic hand dancing in support.
These bands are in motion. Connect with them below to stay alert to next shows and new releases!
