Spirit Family Reunion & Listenlisten Loft Show

On Tuesday (I know, sorry it took so long) I went to a private loft for a show that Spirit Family Reunion was playing. The loft was on S.5th and Bedford and you had to RSVP to get in. When I go there I chatted with the dude who lives there and was throwing the party. He said the show was the first of many to come. The loft space itself is huge room with a kitchen off to the side. It's a great spot for shows and can handle about 50 people or so pretty comfortably.

We got to the show kinda early and brought with us a bunch of Bud and a flask of vodka (it's BYOB). It was a little awkward at first because there weren't all that many people there and those who were there all seemed to know each other. That's what the booze is for though.

The first performance was by Redding Hunter (from Peter & The Wolf). He played most of the set solo and on piano with the occasional back up vocals by two girls standing by. It was good but I didn't love it. Towards the end he switched to guitar and played an absolutely amazing song. I'd see this guy all the time if the whole set was similar to that song.

Next up was a band all the way from Texas called listenlisten (yup, all lowercase and one word). They started off kinda rough but after the first song they hit their stride. Halfway through the set I made up my mind that not only did I like these guys but they're pretty damn good. The vocal harmonies were impressive to say the least. The music itself is kinda country but as Tom put it, "I feel like I'm about to go to battle at Gettysburg." And while that might not help out anyone reading this, if you were there you would agree with that statement.

After listenlisten we went for a bodega run and grabbed a couple of 40's of Bud. When we got back Spirit Family was started to get ready. I've seen SFR twice before and they were amazing both times. In the setting of a small loft I could only expect them to be even better. In my experience rowdy country in a Brooklyn loft means good times.

Spirit Family Reunion came out with guns blasting Tuesday night. The whole place erupted into a arm-hooking, foot-stompin' dance off. The stomping got so intense that the neighbors downstairs complained. So the band simply took off their shoes and the crowd followed suit. The dancing continued on, sans shoes.

Spirit Family Reunion is one of those bands who make you feel like your part of something bigger when you see them play. This might sound weird but their music really captures that raw feeling of being alive. Really! It's that feeling that you used to get all the time when you were a kid which has since become unfamiliar but all the more appreciated when you do feel it.

They played some of my favorites like "100 Greenback Dollar Bills" and "When My Name Is Spoken." Most of the crowd seemed to know at least the choruses to the songs so there were some nice country sing-a-long moments. The dancing never stopped until Spirit Family did and then the loft emptied out and the patrons went their separate ways. It was one hell of a show.

Spirit Family Reunion




listenlisten