When Webster Hall invites you to a party, you don’t say “no.” You put on your dancing shoes, and fucking go. So Friday, November 14, I went to represent Pancakes and Whiskey at the massive all house celebration of Webster Hall’s return to Independence with an A+ lineup.
Proof of how excited people were about this night were three sold out shows in each room, and long lines at all entrances at 7 pm already. Where to go first? What to do? So many choices. To get a good spot in the Grand Ballroom for the electronic shows I decided to go upstairs and started out my night with the beautiful spheric tunes of Jessy Lanza. Armed with two synthesizers and a MacBook Pro, Lanza entranced the rapidly growing audience with her beat heavy fairy pop. Her voice, not unlike that of fellow electronic songstress Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso, tumbled in the highest heights using it like one of her synths.
Meanwhile in the Marlin Room at ground level, Echosmith was tearing it up. The four siblings from Los Angeles drew the crowd in with their sparkling indie pop and their bubbly energy. At the same time in the studio, Brooklyn’s own Sandflower took over the more pop focused part of the evening. Her bubbly performance matched her gorgeous outfit – this one might be one we’re going to hear more of in the pop world.
But back to the Grand Ballroom, where Caribou was ending the night with a blast. As you might expect from a musician like Dan Snaith, there wasn’t much standing space, so dancing was a hard endeavor, but not impossible. With a light show and a stage presence similar to Kraftwerk, he took the crowd by storm.
It was an amazing night with amazing shows. Webster Hall has always been one of my favorite venues in this city, because of the history it encompasses, and how great watching shows is at the space. Thanks for having me – I had a blast.
Bands in The Grand Ballroom
Jessy Lanza
Caribou
Bands in the Marlin Room
Madi Diaz
Echosmith
Bands in the Studio
Craig Stickland
Sandflower
Kat Dahlia
Article by: Julia Maehner
Photo credit: Caribou
