Going back in time to Sunday, August 8th, we take a look at the night that unfolded at Brooklyn’s Cape House venue. Surfer Blood provided unstoppable energy and Katie Von Schleicher introduced the crowd to an intimate experience in her own backyard.
The Cape House has begun to take off after holding an array of smaller shows in the underground section of their venue. The venue is located in the Bushwick neighborhood, tucked away near the Morgan Avenue station. Tonight was a change in pace for the venue, because there was no space in the usually open basement.
There was a particular energy that could be felt throughout the room as Katie used all members of the band to create silence throughout the audience. At times the vocals of Katie could be compared to Annie Clark (of St. Vincent), Angel Olsen, and Molly Ranking (of Alvvays).
Katie Von Schleicher graced the stage and tantalized the crowd with a mixed catalog of songs that included many from her latest album, Shitty Hits. This album follows the route that Bleaksploitation and Silent Days had, but in a more refined recordings courtesy of Ba Da Bing Records. According to NPR the album was about, “looking out from inside your own delusions and bad habits, begging yourself to do better”. The vocals echo’d throughout the basement with light snare hits and shallow keyboard notes being played. This act was the perfect way to open up the show to the packed house on this night.
Within only fifteen minutes after Katie left the stage, John Paul Pitts and company hopped on the stage to perform to the crowd that awaited. People were stacked, some even choosing to stand on top of benches to get peek at the set. The Florida natives took on a set that never seemed like it was going to end.
The band cruised through a massive 15 song set-list that touched on almost something from every album they’ve released. Surfer Blood started in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2010 and now are touring on their fourth album, Snowdonia. The band made sure to perform a good selection of songs off of that album such as “Six Flags in F or G”, but they also went back to classics such as “Floating Vibes” from Astro Coast.
Throughout various occasions in the set, John took it upon himself to interact with the audience. This involved him wearing other peoples hats and tossing the microphone around for other people to sing along to. There were times where the band toned down and times that the band was putting all the energy they had on stage. After nearly two hours Surfer Blood finished up their set while the clock approached midnight.
The Cape House truly experienced everything that someone would want: energy and intimacy. We’re excited to see what else the Bushwick venue has in store for us!
