A Brief Smile @ Bowery Ballroom

A Brief Smile played Bowery Ballroom last night to an enthusiastic crowd. Despite it being early on a Wednesday night, there was a good number of people that were there. I felt a bit nervous all day for them, which seems ridiculous. But I felt that same nervous feeling when The Upwelling played last year. Bowery is, in my opinion, the premiere venue in New York City. Great sound, great stage, great size. It's kind of a big deal.

They were off to a bit of a rocky start with "We Could Get In Trouble," but managed to find their way midway through their second song. Once they got it, they really had the audience hanging on every note. It was a bit odd watching them on this big stage with all these people in attendance. But as soon as they played "And So It Begins" (a song that is meant for a venue like Bowery) it all just clicked.

The band really benefited from the sound, something that's hard with a lot of young bands in New York. Most venues don't allow for the layered textures of sounds that A Brief Smile works with. I heard things last night that I never had heard before in their music. They had played a newer song "Vicious" the last couple times I had seen them, but it never was the most memorable. But last night, with DL's echoed vocals ringing through Bowery Ballroom, it hit the spot.

Unfortunately it didn't end as well as it should have, with some technical problems at the beginning of "Pretty Mess" but all in all, I was beyond thrilled with the short but sweet performance. They were much more comfortable on stage than a lot of bands I had seen, and with a mostly female crowd under the age of 21, these girls ate it up. Make sure you are in attendance at their Rothko show to see what all the fuss is about.

More pictures up on flickr.