Last night, I spent some time at Bowery Ballroom and caught MisterWives' Our Own House Tour. The tour, which kicked off this past February, finally made it to the band's hometown of New York City. NYC did not disappoint in welcoming them home, selling out the venue in 30 minutes. Their second, upcoming show in New York--at Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 7th--is also sold out.
Opening for MisterWives was Handsome Ghost, followed by Børns. I spent a little time with Handsome Ghost's Tim Noyes, who told me just how happy he was to be on tour with "such good people." The Boston musician, along with Eddie Byun on synths, warmed up the early concertgoers nicely with songs from his EP, Steps.
The performance also included a well-received cover of "Sex" by The 1975.
Following Handsome Ghost was Børns. The band took to the stage--Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees" playing in the background--and primed the pump for the energy that was to follow. Garret Borns and his band played songs from their EP, Candy, the most popular of which is "Electric Love". If the entire show could be viewed as a roller coaster ride, Handsome Ghost was the upward climb, and Børns was the moment just before the drop.
So what was the drop? MisterWives, of course. The New York City-based band packed Bowery Ballroom with fans, friends, and family--only a few city blocks from many of the venues they played when they got their start. Starting the show with the title track from Our Own House, they kept fans jumping, clapping, and singing along for their entire set.
I got my first exposure to MisterWives last year in Philadelphia, when they performed at Made In America Festival. Their energy was apparent then, but it has only exploded in the time between their EP , Reflections, and now. Mandy Lee's stage presence, the playful camaraderie of all the bandmates, and a rotation of instruments that included a trumpet, accordion, and glockenspiel, kept everyone enamored from start to finish. The band closed with their song, "Queens" (a nod to the home Borough of two of the band's members), only to return and crank out a rendition of Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk". That, in turn, transitioned into "Kings and Queens" from their EP.
A major thanks Handsome Ghost, Børns, and MisterWives for a fantastic night, and to the amazing fans who made the experience even better.
All photos by DeShaun Craddock