SUCRE PLAYS A SWEET GIG AT WEBSTER HALL

There comes a time when a person has to break out on his or her own, and that night was Monday night at Webster Hall’s Marlin Room for Stacy King and her alt pop project, Sucré. Stacy King (né Stacy DuPree) spent most of her formative years singing and playing keyboard in the indie band, Eisley along with 4 of her siblings, but her new music has taken a far more interesting turn.

She didn’t show up to the show alone, however. Along for the ride, her younger siblings’, Christie and Collin’s band, Merriment started the night off perfectly. Donning a polka dotted dress, with Collin’s wife & keyboardist Karsyn dressed startlingly alike by coincidence, Christie made a joke that we all must have gotten the memo. Looking around the room, I chuckled at how many people were dressed in polka dots in the audience.

Merriment’s music is simply gorgeous. Christie’s vocals are crisp and clear, and Collin’s guitar work is impactful, yet understated. Although it was my first time hearing and seeing them play, hopefully it won’t be my last.

Not siblings, but just as much a part of the family, The Honey Trees took the stage next. They immediately reminded me of Eisley, but with an amplified twist. Strong harmonies from lead singers Jacob Wick, and Becky Filip took center stage here, with beautiful violin accompaniment weaving in and out of the background, and punchy drums.

Finally, the candelabras that adorned the perimeter of the stage and the music swelled. Stacy trotted out onto the stage, mic already in hand, with The Honey Trees as her backing band, and immediately launched into the first track off her new EP, “Loner” called “Wandering Back”; which is a perfect song to announce her current musical direction. Although her set was peppered with favorites from her first album, “A Minor Bird”, such as “Hiding Out”, “When We Were Young”, Chemical Reaction”, and “Say Something” which truly showcased her ability to project strong, confident vocals one minute and delicate, angelic vocals the next, my favorite moment and the most electrifying for everyone involved was when she performed a new song called “Line of Fire” – an upbeat, jazzy number with copious amount of horns, and absolutely ridiculous drums… ridiculous in the best way possible.

Now if you’re wondering about the drums, go listen to some Mutemath and then you’ll realize the one responsible for them is Darren King, Mutemath’s drummer, Sucré contributor and Stacy’s husband. Producer/arranger/composer Jeremy Larson also had a hand in the orchestrations on this song. It was truly a standout moment for me, by far. Jacob Wick and Aaron Wick do a phenomenal job here filling in for Darren, which is a feat in itself.

The night came to a close with Stacy singing her very well known cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs”, with the crowd singing along word for word, myself included. (Go look it up on YouTube, it’s gorgeous.)

Sucré might have started out as the namesake suggests – sweet, but from the performance I saw on Monday night, prepare to get a bit more than you bargained for.

Article by: Lesley Keller