Show Review: November Girl, Julia Pierce, Le Bang, Shallowhalo, Our Lady of Sorrows at Knitting Factory. February 9th, 2024.
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An eclectic and fiery showcase from label and management company House of Feelings
February 11, 2024
“No Hard Feelings” was a packed show at Knitting Factory on the Lower East Side thrown by the rising label House of Feelings. Billed as an “anti-Valentine” party, it featured an eclectic parade of acts, each taking the stage as if they owned it. The confidence and warmth of the night was striking; you got the sense that people there knew each other and were genuinely excited to take in the music. There are a lot of whispers that NYC music is “coming back;” this show made a strong argument for that thesis. After walking past a huge handmade heart and a display of the show zine for sale, I stepped in on five acts setting the room ablaze.
First up was Our Lady of Sorrows, a shoe-gaze indebted rock band whose frontwoman Georgia Pettit provided a still and steady presence over a set of pop songs. They brought to mind Slowdive with their waves of guitar tones and slow, insistent feel. The DJ of the night, Julia Cumming of the band Sunflower Bean, took her cues from their set to switch it up from indie sleaze to a more pounding, emotional atmosphere. One felt things were about to get heavy.
Le Bang then took the stage. I’ve heard a lot about them but seeing them live proved what people have been saying; they are clearly poised for great things. Their frontwoman Lola Lancon sang with the effortless cool of Karen O as her band tore into her catchy tunes with the fury of a punk band. Their sound was indie sleaze on fire, featuring song after song of inspired and funny stories, performed nonchalantly and with swagger.
They were followed by Julia Pierce, typically the frontwoman of Tits Dick Ass but here presenting her solo work, which was genuinely haunting post punk set to beautiful throbbing beats. Her bandmate played a theremin through noise pedals, giving the set a dreamlike, almost disturbing quality. I was enthralled.
The next band, Shallowhalo, sauntered onto the stage like genuine pop stars. Allyson Camitta of Shallowhalo gave a truly dazzling performance, seeming to be at once on the stage and in the audience, hypnotizing with her smoky voice and carefully choreographed dance. The songs were poppy and fun.
Willa Beck of November Girl took the sound to a grimier, grungier place, but still threw in several pop hooks. The band, like all the performers, were excellent: tight, sultry, dreamy. Many in the audience seemed to already know the words, making me think that we will be hearing quite a bit about this act soon.
I left feeling strangely a part of the House of Feelings world; when a show is executed so carefully, from the video rollout to the gorgeous zine on sale, one can’t help but feel an important part of the evening. One thing is for sure; I’ll be at the next one.
