On Friday night, people filled the pews at a church in Brooklyn to see banjo-wielding Yoke Lore perform. The show sold-out and drew fans despite the less than 20 degree, February weather.
The Park Church Co-Op isn’t your typical New York City concert venue, but it’s a solid one nonetheless. Concerts at churches are few and far between, but are always worth it. Acoustics, for one, are phenomenal, and you can usually sit down. But like any other sit-down concert, the show can lose the liveliness of a crowd.
Elijah
Brooklyn musician Elijah started off the night with a dreamy, folk pop set that did not disappoint. Backed by four musicians, including a lap steel guitarist, Elijah’s voice drifted between softer and louder refrains. With only a couple singles and an EP out, Elijah said that we could expect more soon from him and his band, as they are currently finishing an album.
Vita and the Woolf
Hailing from Philadelphia, Vita and the Woolf brought a synth pop-driven interlude to the night. Lead singer Jennifer Pague commanded the room with powerful vocals and impassioned music. Her fervent performance of “Bury You” was a standout in the set.
Yoke Lore
After some technical difficulties with microphone feedback, Yoke Lore began an entrancing set by playing several new songs and recounting thoughtful anecdotes about his music. Singer and banjoist Adrian Galvin also took a moment to explain the concept behind the band name. He said that yoke refers to the wooden cross-piece that pairs oxen together, and that lore derives from the word folklore. The words together covey an intention to “tell stories about how things are bound together.”
Yoke Lore
In addition to ending the show with crowd-favorites “Goodpain” and “Hold Me Down,” Galvin played a cover of “Truly Madly Deeply” – his favorite song when he was ten.
Written by and all photos by our new Brooklyn photographer, Alexandra Howard. Check out more photos from the show:
Upcoming Yoke Lore Tour Dates:
4/3 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
4/4 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
4/5 Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
4/6 Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5
4/7 Orlando, FL @ The Social
4/9 Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
4/10 Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House Music Hall
4/12 Washington, D.C. @ Rock & Roll Hotel
4/13 Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
4/14 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
4/15 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
4/18 South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
4/19 Montreal, QC @ Le Ritz
4/21 Toronto, ON @ The Drake
4/23 Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
4/24 Cincinnati, OH @ Woodward Theater
4/27 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
4/28 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
4/29 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
5/1 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
5/2 Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
5/4 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
5/5 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
5/6 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
5/8 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
5/9 Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO Music Club
5/11 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
5/12 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
5/13 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
5/14 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
5/17 Austin, TX @ The Parish
5/18 Houston, TX @ House Of Blues, Bronze Peacock Room
5/19 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
5/20 Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues, Cambridge Room
5/22 Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
5/24 Denver, CO @ Ophelia’s
