Some more Saint Motel and the first article I wrote for PacSun… It’s the view of PacSun
Along for the Ride: Saint Motel - Day 1
Our first face to face encounter with the California indie rock band Saint Motel, came as one of the most unique experiences we’ve ever had. Met up with them downtown, then we headed to record a live session and interview for BreakThru Radio. On our way in, we were met with the barrage of people evacuating the building from the aftershock in the area. People were just standing around wondering if this was the rapture we were promised or what have you, it was a sight to see the street busier than usual but we took it in stride and headed up to record. I was stoked to see the band in such an intimate setting, they played a few songs like “Puzzle Pieces” and “Eat Your Heart Out,” being able to sit in the control room of the studio with the mix of them performing made it even more enjoyable. The crew recording and filming the guys became fans quickly and the overall loose good mood made it a great vibe for all involved. After playing they set up for an interview with a host on the channel and had a good time going back and forth with him. These types of questions can come out of left field at times and this Q & A was no exception. Things learned included insight on their thoughts of Ghostbusters, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and their affinity to have a live show to remember.
After packing up we headed over to grab a keyboard before heading to the night’s venue. We had some time to kill so we got a good chance to sit with the guys and talk a bit. In between some ad-libbed promotion of their show at Glasslands, we got to talk with singer AJ about the start of the band and their lives in California. We like when bands start as friends, we want bands we like to be friends, this isn’t the 80’s where members should hate each other… It shows with these 4 guys, they’re comfortable with each other, in joking and just being together. Our car ride as another close encounter as stuffing gear 5 guys and a manager into a Chrysler van doesn’t leave much room for anything else. Drummer Greg traversed the NY streets fairly easily, learned on the fly you cannot make a U-turn anywhere you want. We had a good time all the way over, talking about bands we like, what the rest of the week had in store, as well as the stage props for the night. Getting a sneak peak we were intrigued as to how it would play out. We crossed the Williamsburg Bridge and were in full-fledged hipster-ville. We freed guitar-player-Sharp from the trunk area he climbed into and got to explore the venue and area before the nights gig. We all stopped to take some pictures being right by the river and an old sugar factory made some very Instagram-esque moments possible. Glasslands is a very hip venue with a vibe as obvious as the cardboard art adorning the walls… The guys are into it and test their stage antics for later.
After checking sound for a bit, Saint Motel conducted another interview which concluded the business end of things for the evening. During the interview however we were questioned by NYPD who wanted to know what we were up to, and when they realized what we were doing just told us to be careful. Being done with that, the collective thought was instantly food and where to get it. Around the corner was the very punny Williamsburg-er and we sat down for some food. Over dinner we talked about their plans for the week, how excited they are to play with MuteMath Thursday night, and how their last trips to NYC were. Being where we were, the radio played some songs that were crowd favorites inspiring some grooving and free style lyrics. Two for Tuesdays will not be soon forgotten nor will the prickly-pear daiquiris.
Indie rock shows have almost become cliché and just a thing people do, with bands using that label as a way to draw fans. As evident with some acts before them Glasslands was just a hangout with live music. The mood absolutely 180ed when Saint Motel took the stage, it no longer was a middle school dance where the band and patrons stood opposing ends, but everyone shifted right up to the stage. There was of course room left to dance, and dance they did. Every song they played people were moving and dancing right along, it was awesome to see. The band looked to be having a good time and it definitely capped off a good first night in New York.
The Bled Farewell Tour w/ Decoder
