Tucked in a delightful hollow of Bushwick, the Market Hotel is one of the hundred storied and well-known music venues in NYC. You can look out the colonial-style windows to see the M train rattle by as the fading sunlight drips through the dusty glass, the trapezoidal structure of the building making sound echo in a unique way. The clamor of voices slowly grew and grew, the high from the loaned joint slowly fading as we waited for the music to start. You could feel the electricity of the crowd, excitement and happiness for the night flitting through the air as the fog machines started pumping vapor into the room.
The first to play was Brook Pridemore, utilizing a mixer and pre-recorded tracks to accompany his vocal performance. He was frenetic, excited, joy at his being onstage evident in every moment. His songs strayed from deeply personal to sardonic comedy, mixing the two to create a wonderful aperitif for the night.
Next was Michael Motorcycle, the first of two musicians to utilize nothing more than an acoustic guitar and his voice. I can only describe him as classic folk punk, his songs delighting in the middlesome elements of life and excoriating the joys of howling at the moon, the crowd eventually following his lead in a cacophony of raised voices.
Penultimately, Julio IV hit the stage, once again with nothing but his sultry, angry voice. His songs revolved around capitalism, the forces that control the monopolized violence of the state, and the unity required to fight them. Personally I have seen some violent mosh pits in my time, but this was the perfect combination of controlled violence and wild worship with a single song interlude about getting cum on your face. Happy Pride Month.
Finally, Friends in Real Life hit the stage. It was pre-empted by a speech from Brooke Pridemore exhorting the crowd to pay attention and listen, describing the events getting a call from Pat about a return to music. What a fuckin’ return it is. Standouts from the set, a straight playing of the eponymous album release (with cassettes still available for purchase) include “Failed Careers,” “Surf Rock Anthem,” and “Retirement Plans.”
The delightful interplay of the two guitars and drums accented the vocal arrangements beautifully, echoing along the angles of the Market Hotel as the circle pit revolved to the driving tune of “May All The Lower Realms Be Empty.” For someone away from the game for so long, the first performance of Friends in Real Life highlights something delightful about music—that no matter how long you’re away from the game, the game will drag you back in.
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