Let’s Go to a Show!

Last week, we attended three live shows in three days - something we haven't done during a work week in an incredibly long time. We previously reported on the stunning show by The Kooks at the Pier 17 rooftop last week. It was followed by Canadian art-pop musician Art D’Ecco on Wednesday. Think rock n' roll meets Talking Heads meets 80s synth-pop. Thursday, we saw another Canadian, Lights, who makes super catchy, super energetic synth-pop.

We had a blast at all three shows! Additionally, it was a chance to get a firsthand impression of how live shows are faring these days. Just earlier last week, Elke attended New York Music Month, where the state of live music was a major topic.

The word is that ticket sales are down for various reasons. You can read them all in this (somewhat lengthy) article by concertandtickets.com. An obvious downturn is that everything has become very expensive: tickets, drinks, merch, and access to special areas. At The Kooks show, the enclosed “Heineken Silver Zone” was available for an additional fee near the stage.(You pay the “premium ticket” in advance.) To another elevated area in the back, we were denied access—no idea what you have to pay for that one.

Luke Pritchard seemed to be happy to have sold out a show. Lights, on the other hand, seemed to defy gravity. She brought an entire big truck with her own light show, something you don't often see in a small venue like Bowery Ballroom. That was certainly against the trend that mid-level artists cut touring budgets wherever they can.

Art d’Ecco played the Sultan Room in Bushwick - a small venue that wasn’t packed, but full of energy thanks to an appreciative crowd and his infectious five-piece band. And maybe that intimacy made it the best show of all? We were close to the stage and didn’t need big screens to feel part of it!
You could even catch a quick, lovely chat with Art d’Ecco after the show, something you wouldn’t experience at a Kooks or Lights show.

A Word About AI

All words on glamglare are written by Elke and me and reflect our personal experiences. For a long time, we have used Grammarly as a spell checker. Since then, Grammarly, like pretty much every other technology company, went all out with AI, so the line between spell-checking and AI-assisted writing becomes ever more blurry. So, while we cannot say anymore that we don’t use AI at all, we don’t use it to generate text from short prompts. We only use it to subtly improve our writing. We also use it for research, as anybody should.

glamglare favorites

Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.

I have a playlist for listening to new music, which I may post as a Song Pick of the Day. Usually, I remove the tracks shortly after, but some songs stick because I enjoy listening to them again and again. So here is music from Warpaint, Yodashe, Lily Hain, Ibibio Sound Machine, and Robber Robber.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

• The Berlin-based band LAWN CHAIR makes “uncompromising, playful and experimental” indie rock music. The single “Waste Your Potential!” is now available, with an album to follow in September.
• Every song by Vancouver singer-songwriter Kaleah Lee deserves attention. "Questioning someone else's fears, even questioning my own, shed light on how fear creeps up and holds us back," she says about her latest one, “What Are You So Afraid Of”.
• The NYC artist Vines has announced her debut album, "I'll Be Here," scheduled for release in July. The first single is the mesmerizing, slow-building "Evicted.”
• "It had been so long since I experienced being in love so strongly and it made me romanticise everything!" says London-based artist ROSIN about her tale of a long-distance relationship, "just a boy.”
• “Thermochromatic” is a physical process - think mood rings. However, Red Moon from Norway says, “To me, it felt more emotional.”
• The Minneapolis band Night Moves puts a new instant classic, “Ring My Bell,” next to that other song with the same name.
• Avery Lynch sings about the surprising "Lasting Effects" of a breakup. "I think it’s a really positive and hopeful song," she says.

Nine Photos of Brutalist Architecture in New York

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, “Brutal Beauty,” Oliver and I went on a walk to take a closer look at some Brutalist architecture. The weather was grey and a bit too chilly, but we were in a celebratory birthday mood and had a great time. Here are a few impressions from our walk:

(1) Ford Foundation Building, 320 E 43rd St (btw 1st & 2nd Ave)
(2) United Nations Plaza Buildings, 860 & 870 United Nations Plaza
(4 & 7) Hunter College North Building, 695 Park Ave (68th & Lexington)
(3 & 6) Temple Israel of the City of New York, 112 E 75th St
(8) The Met Breuer, 945 Madison Ave (at 75th St) [owned by Sotheby's now]
(9) Pace University, One Pace Plaza [in the distance to the left]

For more on this topic, check out NYC URBANISM, a fantastic resource with striking photos and thoughtful insights.