Jeff Rosenstock at Warsaw in NYC
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Jeff Rosenstock came back to his former hometown of Brooklyn, NY to perform three nights of music at Warsaw, in a quiet corner of Greenpoint. He was touring in support of his latest album No Dream, playing shows that had been delayed thanks to the ongoing pandemic. Asking fans to remain masked at all venues, Jeff and co. set off to hit the stage all across the country before landing in NYC for the long weekend. Starting off on Black Friday was Ska Dream, where Rosenstock channeled his former ska bands and gave the crowd a night filled with brass tones and dancing. Nights two and three consisted of the No Dream shows that had been taking over the US and parts of Canada.
First to take Warsaw’s stage was Oceanator, whose grungy pop and honest storytelling warmed the crowd as the smell of delicious pierogi wafted into the room from the venue’s nearby kitchen. The band was happy to be back home for a few nights during the long tour, and the room welcomed them with open arms. They were a comforting return to live music for many, and even though masked faces, the fans’ smiles were apparent as they swayed to singer Elise Okusami’s vulnerable words and distorted tones.
Next on the stage were Slaughter Beach, Dog, who played a mellower set that laid a calm feeling over the room. Rising out of the ashes of Modern Baseball, the Philadelphia band brought in a lot of existing fans and curious ears and gained new listeners as the night went on. Even though the crowd was ready to dance and scream, it was enveloped by SBD’s smooth tones, and those who knew the words put their hearts into them.
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Bounding onto the stage after the crowd excitedly participated in a Pokemon theme song sing-along - the walk-on song of choice - Rosenstock and his band hit the stage and gave the room the energetic release it had been waiting for. Kicking off the set with “Illegal Fireworks & Hiding Bottles in the Sand”, the night was soon rounded out with dancing, jokes, raucous applause, and the appearance of surprise special guest Laura Stevenson. Stevenson joined Rosenstock and his band on numerous tracks throughout the set, to the delight of all around. A former bandmate, she fit right in with the antics and silly nature of the evening. At one point in the night, Rosenstock paused to reflect on his time as a Greenpoint resident, living just a block away from the venue and expressed his appreciation and gratefulness to the fans for showing up and still caring about him and his work after so many years. He said that though he might live in California now, performing in Brooklyn feels like coming home, which even made venue staff feel touched and whisper comments about Rosenstock’s sincerity and charm. Towards the end of the show, the band had members of the opening acts join them on stage to bring the whole touring family together. The love and respect the artists all have for each other was palpable and was passed onto the fans when Rosenstock tossed roses into the crowd and blew kisses at the night’s end. No Dream? More like a dream come true, for all involved.
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