Some hot rock that went down Thursday night at Union Pool. It was quite the lineup with Shilpa Ray (sans her Happy Hookers), WALTZ, The Veda Rays, and Haybaby. Union Pool becomes a mecca for 20 something weirdo kids in the summertime, because alcohol, tacos, and live music is always an on-point combination, and throw in a big patio backyard with a lily pad pool in the center and you’re golden. Soon to be drunk.
Anyhow, Shilpa Ray is always a good time herself, with her unique kind of harmonium punk that borders on theatrical jazz. Shilpa plays the harmonium, hand undulating on the backdoor of that box while she growls and screams, opening her mouth wide enough to swallow the microphone whole. She also straight up asked for someone to buy her and her band shots, which was a success. They took a “shot break” to down them, after which she exclaimed, “I’m having a great time!” She’s got to be on the list of top 10 most fun people to hang out with in Brooklyn, if anyone ever had the tenacity to compile such a thing. Hell, it could be Shilpa herself; I bet she knows more than 10 really fun people, and she’d have to put herself on it. She’s got wit, irreverence, and spunk a plenty, which you can totally tell with her lyrics, her ideas, and general demeanor. Case in point, her concept song and video “Nocturnal Emissions.” I love that part with the voiceover guy talking about taking a Bayer aspirin for contraception, because my dad used to tell me that too. “Take one aspirin, and hold it tight between your knees.” Now I know that he didn’t make that up himself.
WALTZ, who I’m told has the drummer from A Place to Bury Strangers on board was on right before. Makes sense, as the sound is very similar, but front man Matt is even more jittery spastic in his performance. Waltz is loud, SUPER feedback heavy, and awesomely dissonant. And the bassist was born to headbang. From what I can, WALTZ was formed as recent as last month, so this is a brand new endeavor that is just starting to make sonic waves.
Our old friends The Veda Rays continue to be one of the busiest bands in town, lately playing show after show with all new songs not yet released. They’ve been in the studio, they’ve been recording, maybe they already have 100s of demos that may or may not see the light of day. They are a band that, years from now, their devoted cult following will have treasure troves of b-sides and unreleased gems, because these guys just do not stop writing music. Core members James Stark and Jason Gates have honed their sound considerably since slimming the lineup down to a duo, even though they do have enough effects to sound as if a ghost band member is among them. Sweeping through all the songs I’ve never heard before, James was still himself with that signature warbling voice and jittery dance, and Jason remains one of the tightest drummers I know. Word on the street is that they have a new record in the works, to be released in the very near future.
Opening the night was lo-fi garage rockers Haybaby, who are a three-piece with a Rainer Maria kind of dynamic, in that they all take turns singing in a style that’s like interrupting each other on purpose. Guitarist Leslie Hong ends up taking lead on the majority, which is cool because she has this ability to sound girlish but then can really scream and let it out. They have all of that relatable ‘fuck, I’m in my 20s’ kind of angst when you’re out in the world going after what you really want, but whenever your mom calls she makes it clear that she’d feel a lot better about your future if you had a real job. Like, one that makes money.
