SON LITTLE, WILD LEAVES + STREETS OF LAREDO PLAY ROUGH TRADE NYC

Only my second time back at Rough Trade NY, and my first time catching a show there, I was treated to a fantastic lineup of musicians Son Little, Wild Leaves and Streets of Laredo.

Opening the night, Son Little was proved to be quite a prolific guitarist and storyteller. His sound, which I interpreted as the perfect mix of blues and reggae was amazingly refreshing. I haven’t heard anyone quite like him yet, and I’m guessing the crowd hadn’t either; judging from how quickly they moved from crossed armed spectators to head bobbing enthusiasts.

The night pushed on with Brooklyn based folk band, Wild Leaves. Nowhere near today’s version of banjo wielding, knee-slapping, catchy folk, Wild Leaves plays traditional folk music mixed with Americana which put me in the mind of driving down a lone stretch of highway on a dusty road. They were a jovial bunch. Clearly enjoying the music, and as I found out quite artistic, and band and vocalist Genevieve quipped, “I whittled some stuff for you guys, come see us at the merch table afterward!” Urging the crowd closer to the stage, lead singer Adam succeeded in singing us into a full crowd sway-a-long.

Finally, New Zealand natives Streets of Laredo took the stage. The 7-piece group of friends and family got off to a roaring start. With glowing comparisons to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and Father John Misty, I’d have to say that while they are certainly in good company, they easily set themselves apart. With bonafide sing-a-long jams like “Girlfriend”, they managed to get the room to sing with little coaxing at all. Growing up in NYC, this is not something that happens every day. Crowds here can be tough, but Streets of Laredo had no problem winning everyone over. They also had ample time to display their stage presence in the form of drummer Dave Gibson teasing his brother, lead singer Dan Gibson, which was completely hilarious.

Another highlight of the night came in the form of Dan introducing the song “I’m Living”, which he says he wrote spur of the moment and was the first time that they ever performed together as a group. Ultimately, this was the catalyst to them forming Streets of Laredo.

By the end of the night, the crowd was in such a great mood that when Dan asked Wild Leaves, Son Little and anyone else who felt like it to get onstage and join them for the last song, there was a frenzy of the best kind. Closing out the night with over 50 people onstage singing at the top of their lungs, and Dan standing at the edge of the stage, clapping his hands, this was absolutely one of the best nights of music I’ve seen in a while.

Article by: Lesley Keller