Fly By Midnight Gives New York The Feels at Mercury Lounge

 
Justin Bryte (left) & Justin Salvo (right) performing live at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Justin Bryte (left) & Justin Salvo (right) performing live at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Fly By Midnight performed at Mercury Lounge last week after a prolonged absence from their native New York City. The indie-retro pop sensation, known for their charm, unique vocals and infectious hooks, packed-out the legendary LES venue with screaming fans as they performed covers and songs from their compilation album “New York Nostalgia.”

The Staten Island duo have had a successful 2018 so far, coming off the heels of a successful college tour, the release of their break-up song, ‘Just Say It” (on Valentines Day we might add) and a compilation album of previously released singles back in March. Recently, Fly By Midnight was one of the first artists to be voted solely by their fans to perform at this year’s Firefly Music Festival in July.

Justin Salvo with emotion on stage at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Justin Salvo with emotion on stage at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Fly By Midnight opened their headliner with two unreleased tracks on Wednesday that showcased the duos groovy basslines, gushy harmonies and retro-pop elements that blossomed perfectly with Fly By’s seductive vocals.

Fly By Midnight crooning underneath the lights. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Fly By Midnight crooning underneath the lights. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

We were trilled to watch Fly By Midnight perform “All The Feels,” which they performed that morning at Billboard Studios. Their performance highlighted some of Fly By Midnight’s best traits with stellar production, sex appeal and a two-step basslines that had Mercury Lounge grooving the night away.

Their performances to “Vinyl” and “Just Say It” displayed Fly By’s resilient stage presence that exemplified their strong fan engagement and humble approach within their music. We sang along harmoniously and clapped to the beat, as Fly By put on an anthem-esque style performance on, “Vinyl,” under Mercury’s flashing lights. On “Just Say It,” the band jammed out with commanding, yet sensual vocals, strong guitar licks and a powerful drum set that kept the audiences hands in the air.

Official break up song visual for "Just Say It" by Fly By Midnight.

Along with amazing renditions to Michelle Branch’s “Everywhere” and The Beatle’s timeless hit “Hey Jude,” Fly By Midnight closed out their set with their chart-topping track, “Vibe” ending the night with an explosively rich performance with alluring melodies and a breezy summery feel that lit up the crowd.

Justin Bryte on stage at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Justin Bryte on stage at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Fly By Midnight crouching in front of the crowd at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Fly By Midnight crouching in front of the crowd at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

With their consistent fan engagement, unique music style and charming on-stage presence, it’s no wonder why Fly By Midnight is an emerging band that has rippled across the indie-pop landscape. With sold out shows in colleges and universities across the country, Fly By is slowly transitioning on becoming one of the larger names in the independent space.

Fly By Midnight playing live at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Fly By Midnight playing live at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Through their savvy use of social media, post-show presence and approachability the band has forged their path towards creating a growing and trending brand that strikes the hearts of their young fanbase.

Catch Fly By Midnight at a city near you and add their new single, “All The Feels,” to your playlist this week!

Fly By Midnight on stage at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

Fly By Midnight on stage at Mercury Lounge. Photo courtesy of Sergio Carrasco.

 

#WomenInRock: A Music Series Kick-off at The Bowery Electric

 
Danielle Minch at guitar during our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Danielle Minch at guitar during our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

We launched our very first “Women In Rock” show at The Bowery Electric’s last week, featuring some of the rising female-led bands that are re-defining today’s independent music throughout New York City.

Singer-songwriter/guitarist, Nessa Dove, kicked off our show with a vibrant performance that filled the Map Room with airy licks, sonic rips and electrifying strings, drawing audiences towards the dimmed-light Map Room on that dreary Tuesday night. The Queens-based musician was inviting, gripping and energized with heavy doses of rhythm and soul. Performing songs from her latest EP “Here We Go,” as well as upcoming music releasing later this summer, Nessa portrayed a mean guitar play, catchy vocals and indulging arrangements that blended the genres of alternative, blues and pop for us to experience beautifully on stage.  Her performances to the smooth riding titled EP song “Here We Go” and the rock heartbreaking tune “Last Cigarette” left us captivated and mesmerized by Nessa’s firm, yet delicate strings, soft melodies and easy-riding rifts. 

Nessa Dove on vocals at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Nessa Dove on vocals at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Multi-instrumentalist, Katie Zaccardi, was the second act on our bill that provided us with a gentle performance bounding the elements of indie-folk, country and alternative beautifully together. Her crooning vocals and compelling lyrics expressed vibrantly on stage, as she played alongside her four-piece band performing some of her new songs and selected covers throughout the set. Equipped with a unique alternative sound that mirror the pillars of Americana and alternative-folk music, Zaccardi’s musicianship and songwriting ability were illustrated profoundly through her songs “Cave” and “Crazy.” Both compositions were a testament to Zaccardi’s artistry, dynamic lyrics and quilted arrangements stuffed with pop and rock mixtures.

Katie Zaccardi crooning the night away at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Katie Zaccardi crooning the night away at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Talullah Ruff and Behind The Façade closed out the night with a dazzling rock and singer-songwriter finale that wowed the Bowery Electric audience to their feet. Talullah’s vocals and play on the keys was elegant, mesmerizing and hauntingly glowing. Her detailed compositions and heartfelt songwriting hushed the Map Room crowd, as she performed graciously with an uncanny approach that was gentle, collected and refine. As confident as she was anxious, Talullah expressed her artistry with a measured sense of love and reflection through a unique piano and bluesy alternative sound. Her performances to “Hungry” and “In Love With My Paper Skin” flowed majestically throughout the quiet space with powerful harmonies and beautiful keys.

Talullah Ruff on keys at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Talullah Ruff on keys at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Female-fronted alternative-pop and rock band, Behind The Façade, headlined our “Women in Rock” show with an all-star jam fest that had Map Room audiences on their feet, bobbing their heads and pumping their fists. Straight from the inner boroughs of New York City, Behind The Façade provided an awesome show-stopping experience that filled the Bowery Electric with ear-shattering amps, ferocious rifts and explosive beats.  The hardcore punk-pop band howled loudly through our ears offering a rush of crushing attitude, absolute command and daring confidence.

The band’s lead vocalist/guitarist, Danielle Minch, put on a superb performance for us with clean and rejuvenating vocals, entrenched guitar play and thriving lyrical ability. Danielle maybe small in stature, but it’s her demeanor and musicianship that maintained a grand and invigorating presence on stage that magnified the band’s dominating poise and tenacity. Guitarist Louie Baerga and bassist Nick Quiles provided the backbone to the band’s wild and airy presence. Baerga’s energized performance on strings and reverberating vocals were exhilarating: a perfect one-two punch and pairing to Danielle’s dynamic presence. Along with drummer Christian Estrella, the band kept jamming throughout the set – never letting the energy suck out of the room. We all were trapped to BTF’s realm of punk-infused pop and heavy-hitting rock music.

Danielle Minch and Louie Baerga on vocals. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Danielle Minch and Louie Baerga on vocals. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Nick Quilles on bass and Danielle Minch at the mic. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Nick Quilles on bass and Danielle Minch at the mic. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Christian Estrella on drums at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

Christian Estrella on drums at our #WomenInRock show. Photo courtesy of Kevin Vallejos.

The band’s performances to “Good Intentions,” “Hypochondriac” and “Things to Believe In” was a roaring amplified diary that put us in the middle of a late afternoon Vans Warped Tour set or an evening jam fest from the old Bronx Underground days. The sonic echo that pulverized the Map Room speakers was tantalizing and made us hungry for more, as we lost ourselves to the adrenaline and electrified velocity of alternative-punk music.

With the lasting presence of female-fronted bands in the independent music scene, female artists have always adopted a unique approach with how they have merged their various genre and songwriting skills. Whether it’s through early 90’s punk, southern blues, powerful ballads or mid-60’s activism, these female icons have been able to adopt a holistic sound that has re-defined the way we view and listen to music both then and now in today’s evolving society.

The artists who performed during our #WomenInRock show exemplify not only poise, confidence and charisma, but more importantly that quality musicianship goes beyond sex, gender, ethnicity or background. Their unconventional sound spans across genres to develop a hearty following of fans that fall in love with the artist and their music just the same. With future records, bigger shows and more touring to come, it's safe to say that these musicians will undoubtedly hold their spot in the New York City music scene with much more to come. 

 

Behind The FaçadeFacebook | Twitter

Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music

 

Talullah Ruff | Twitter

Instagram | SoundCloud

 

Nessa DoveFacebook | Twitter

Instagram | Band Camp | SoundCloud

 

Katie Zaccardi | Facebook | Twitter

Instagram | YouTube | SoundCloud | Apple Music