Homeshake sold out four nights in a row at the Market Hotel in Brooklyn, and his first performance on February 13th proved why a ticket was such a hot commodity. Throughout the night, the train roared past the window directly behind the stage on the second floor. But the band’s hypnotic beats reverberated off the walls and drowned out the sound of the subway. After a slow instrumental buildup, Homeshake started the show with “Hello Welcome.” His warped words echoed in unison with the crowd’s buzz of approval for the familiar, stylized voice.
Frontman Peter Sagar, formerly Mac Demarco’s guitarist, remained in character with live autotune even while bantering with the audience between songs. “Play ‘Move This Body!’” one fan called out for the dozenth time.
“Can’t do that one,” he responded cooly.
“You can do whatever you want!”
“Okay, then I won’t.”
Tracks he did want to play included hits off his last three albums such as “Call Me Up” (Fresh Air, 2017), “Heat” (Midnight Snack, 2015), and “Making A Fool Of You” (In The Shower, 2014).
In live concert, the songs sounded nearly identical to recorded versions. The only notable difference was an occasional slowed tempo and exaggerated beat; this stylistic distortion matched the pace of the show to the languid motion of the crowd. After the finale, lingering fans danced to even more Homeshake blasting from cars parked outside the venue. Anyone who missed out on the Brooklyn leg of the tour can still purchase tickets for the remaining dates in Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Texas.
Words and photos by Aubrey Wipfli.
