Not your grandaddy’s show: Grandaddy killed their Brooklyn Steel show
On October 15, I had the pleasure to attend a Grandaddy show at the Brooklyn Steel, and what a pleasure it was! Personally speaking, I have been a long time lover of the band as someone who is especially prone to late 90s psychadelia; however, I truly believe the live performance was one that would make any emotional human being happy to see.
Greg Freeman and his eclectic five piece band opened up the show, littering the stage with odds and ends—a steel string lap guitar, saxophone stand, and a certain kind of twangy mysticism which grew as each member appeared. As a whole, the majority Vermont-based group emanated their home-state, maybe because of the long haired bassist, maybe the Palestinian flag plastered to Freeman’s guitar, definitely in the music. Sonically the group was all twang-modern folk punctuated by conversational vocals. Watching the group onstage was thrilling, frontman Greg sang with clear intensity, eventually bringing out the harmonica with the same intensity.
Though the crowd watching was large to start, it grew in size and excitement as the opener performed—excitement for the soon-appearing Grandaddy? Maybe? Though I would rather believe it was the passionate energy onstage which radicalized the crowd.
The last time I listened to Grandaddy was in my hometown in California. It was sunset and beautiful and I wanted to tell someone I loved them. Seeing the band live, the same feeling came again.
The members entered onstage amidst exploding applause—the crowd was ready. They opened up with songs from The Sophtware Slump, one of their more popular albums. The music was yearning and intimate and totally rocked. Something I have always loved about Grandaddy is their unique duality of incorporating digital overtones into incredibly emotional music.
Categorically, the sound is an awesome blend of chiptune, psychedelia and alternative rock—The Flaming Lips would be proud. As the band entered into playing Crystal Lake, the fourth song on their setlist, the crowd became even more excited than it already was, fist bumping into the air, people singing along, laughing, yelling and dancing, it was a joy to be part of. The Brooklyn Steel was swallowed by heart-filling crescendos and buzzing baselines. The band played a wonderful set on the longer side, took their bows and walked off stage. After some insistence from the crowd, the members came back out to play a whopping 10 song encore. They played Ghost of My Old Dog, a song from the solo career of frontman Jason Lyte as the projected background showed images of a handsome Australian Shepard. “He was the best person I knew,” Lyte said lovingly.
After this show I know, I will see Grandaddy live any chance I get. Truly the entire concert was an emotional experience, from their-well picked opener to the immersive performance of the headliners. All the coolest people I know love Grandaddy, and so do I.
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