From Ithaca to Brooklyn Steel: X Ambassadors mark ten years of VHS
For X Ambassadors, Brooklyn isn’t just another dot on the map, it was a proving ground that defined their journey as a band. After leaving their hometown of Ithaca, NY, the band settled in Brooklyn following the success of their debut VHS, finding their new identity, and cutting their teeth in the local music scene.
It’s where brothers Casey and Sam Nelson Harris met drummer Adam Levin back in college, where their early grind turned into a record deal. And as Sam reminded the crowd, where they lived just ten blocks from Brooklyn Steel for nearly a decade. That made this performance less like a concert and more like a neighborhood homecoming.
The band played their most of their debut album, honoring the tenth anniversary of the record that first launched them into the spotlight. Midway through the set, Sam reflected that revisiting these songs like flipping through old high school photos: some songs were still great, others not so much.
Before diving into “Naked,” Sam laughed about the “sweet little horny f*cker” energy in those early lyrics — that restless urge to be seen, to strip everything back and be fully yourself with someone. Moments later, hearing a packed Brooklyn Steel shout along to “Unsteady” and “Renegades” gave the room goosebumps, pulling everyone back into that same vulnerable, formative space.
And yet, despite the anniversary framing, the show never felt stuck in the past. The band kept things fluid, leaning into each track as if they were rediscovering the record right alongside us. Also, worth noting that credit goes to the stage crew, who managed seamless instrument swaps — acoustic guitars, bass, even Sam’s saxophone — without breaking the flow for a second.
Watching X Ambassadors revisit VHS entirety stirred something deeper in me. A decade is long enough for life to reshape itself entirely — relationships, careers, even the places I call home. Hearing those songs again was like unlocking a time capsule, surfacing feelings that usually stay buried under the routines and droll of everyday life.
That’s what music does at its best. It gives you access to memories you can’t recreate anywhere else. Standing in Brooklyn Steel, I wasn’t just watching X Ambassadors honor their past. I was measuring my own.
X Ambassadors SETLIST
Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, New York (9/23/2025)
Jungle
Loveless
Hang On
Low Life
Fear
Nervous
Feather
Superpower
Naked
Gorgeous
Unsteady
Renegades
Friend for Life (encore)
Follow the Sound of My Voice (encore)
Hold You Down (encore)
