Heineken Flex feat. Nick Hakim + Sur Back @ Gramercy Theater - NYC

Everyone was out at the Gramercy Theater in NYC on Wednesday night. The event was sponsored by Heineken and called “Heineken Flex” – a music series showcasing up and coming artists around the country. On this night, fans lined up outside the theatre to welcome opening act Sur Back and headliner Nick Hakim.

Dj Mawcus warmed up the crowd with his witty banter while everyone piled into the theatre. With Heineken(s) in hand, the audience eagerly awaited Sur Back.

Sur Back – the experimental group, was fronted by Caroline Sans, a dancer from Florida. At the start of the set we were welcomed by a single cellist on stage – creating a somber bellowing mood that felt like it was plucked straight from a Game of Thrones soundtrack. Sur Back had a sound that was hard to pinpoint, and with good reason – it painted a picture for first-time listeners that was unique and allowed each song to be unpredictable. Standout hit “Valentino” was very reminiscent of early St. Vincent – complete with a full-on guitar solo. A softspoken Sans introduced us to her new EP Kitsch II, a follow up to her first EP conveniently titled Kitsch.

Shortly after Sur Back left the stage Nick Hakim started to lull us all with his soft vocals and beachy sound. Based in Brooklyn, Hakim treated all his fellow New Yorkers like family by taking multiple instances to address the crowd, introduce his bandmates, and shout out people he knew around him. Once Hakim dove into his set everyone around linked up and swayed to the music. About halfway through, keyboardist Jake Sherman had a bit of a solo moment of his own. With only vocoder and keyboard in tow, he muttered a few lyrics into his microphone to which the crowd erupted in cheers, accepting the funky and comedic spin to the set. For the remaining few songs, Hakim played hits from “Green Twins” – switching it up from soft and sweet melodies to a harsher, rougher sound laden with guitars and screams.

The new Heineken series was a success on Wednesday night. With a DJ set from Mawkus, eerie sounds from Sur Back, and the laid-back music from Nick Hakim everyone leaving Gramercy Theatre was pleased. Sur Back has one upcoming show at Mercury Lounge NYC on July 31st, while Nick is going to be laying low in the upcoming months and currently has no scheduled tours. Keep your eyes peeled as dates are revealed. For the time being, tickets are still available for the Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California featuring Nick Hakim, Eric Church, Eddie Vedder, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.