Stargazy celebrated their new EP “The Fashion” with a party at Rough Trade NYC with supporting act Folding Legs.
Art/alternative rockers Folding Legs took to the very dark stage, saturated with a purple hue and funky disco lights then proceeded to rip it up for the remainder of their groovy and varied set. Dressed in floral hippie leggings and a furry black mask, lead singer Katharina Stenbeck flaunted some unique but killer dance moves as she effortlessly took control of the the wide eyed crowd with her powerful voice. The short set was high in energy and had the crowd dancing away to such tunes as “Wasted” and “Lips”. The forty minute set was highlighted by the powerful song “Glorious,” which is a favorite of ours here at P+W and even premiered the excellent video of it this last week. The set ended with the popping of balloons, which were filled with a powder and when exploded provided a trippy color blast.
Stargazy ambled on stage shortly after nine and performed a ridiculously strong set of mostly new material laden with guitar rock and in your face vocals. The band, which I had never seen before, was a very tight and strong unit consisting of two guitars, two percussionists, a keyboard, and a bassist who performed different styles with ease and passion. These long time friends are a close-nit bunch, the respect and love for each other was evident all night with simple gestures and meaningful embraces. Stargazy’s style was varied, but in essence, just a good old fashioned rock band who can bring a tribal beat and in the next song drop some reggae vibes on you. The choruses are especially strong in most songs, making some of which feel very large and anthem like.
The hour long set seemed more like twenty minutes as time slowed down even though the band was not unlike a freight train at full speed hitting a sharp corner and the conductor saying “screw it” while hammering down on the pedal. Before we knew it the set was over but the crowd wasn’t having it and demanded “One more song” which Stargazy happily accepted and performed another rockin’ tune which ended with a band member in the crowd dancing away with the fans. Be sure to check out their new EP entitled “The Fashion” due out soon. You can check out this wonderful and promising band and more next week at Cameo Gallery for another “Pancakes and Whiskey Presents” event. Hope to see y’all there.
Article and photos by Shayne Hanley
