Brooklyn – Local duo Weeknight, formed in 2012 and comprised of Andy Simmons and Holly MacGibbon, have been on tour across the East Coast promoting two new singles “In The Dust” and “California,” which culminated in a release party for the physical cassette tape of the two tracks, out on Dead Stare Records, at Union Pool earlier this week. The couple, known for their edgy and haunting fusion of guitar, drum machines and synths alongside his-and-her vocals, have created a well-deserved buzz for themselves following the release of 2014’s LP Post-Everything, a year which has also seen them support the likes of Blue Hawaii and Phantogram.
Union Pool, known as a staple hipster hangout doubling as a venue off the Lorimer Stop on the L, has received fervent accolades from both Simmons and MacGibbon as one of their favoured places to play. It had the aura of a welcome friend to the band, who clearly were at home and full of positive energy despite having just completed the last leg of a tour with just enough time to make it back to Brooklyn and head straight to the venue.
Critics have often penned the seemingly contradictory words “moody” and “danceable” into one sentence when describing Weeknight’s music and the band’s release party performance was no exception. Simmons’ and MacGibbon’s entwined and lilting vocals instilled an almost hypnotic element into the intimate stage space, where the red-lit and heady realm brought to life by MacGibbon’s synths and Simmons’ guitar welded together the heartbeat that is many Williamsburg bar mid-weeknight out.
Taking the stage after 11 and playing mainly shrouded in darkness, the effect was one that only seemed to heighten the tempo of the night. Despite their dark reputation, Weeknight was in their hometown element and well up for riding high on what genuinely did feel like a party, and their audience was convinced. The duo’s clear in-sync-ness was also on display, as their bodies and instruments moved in an apparent consciousness of shared space and the roles they both played in orchestrating each song. MacGibbon’s background as a dancer was evident with her strong, fluid poses, and her especial grace and transference from instrument to instrument felt profound. For a band that has confessed that not so long ago they had no idea what kind of music they wanted to make, every choice on stage felt deliberate.
Although the band’s set and the immersion of the audience could quite easily conjure up images of the early morning of a party, the brewing energy of the two playing counterpart hardly resembled anything but the beginning of something grander and more eloquent. Although Weeknight has been developing their sound in Brooklyn for some time, their headlining set at Union Pool seemed to be a significant step in their relevance as a band that has quietly developed on the scene in the shadows.
Weeknight is currently working towards their second LP, but you can buy copies of their limited edition cassette tape here. Keep up to date on their Facebook and Twitter pages, and read a full interview with the band pre-gig here.
Photo of Weeknight live by Joel Veachi
Ruby Hoffman
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