Levek @ Pianos, 7/20/12
One of my leisure activities is trolling around the net looking for emerging bands touring NYC. Levek, of Florida, is one of those acts that piqued my interest. The scant few recordings I heard impressed me enough to check them out and roll an interesting night at Pianos on the East Side.
Two girl led rock groups opened the show. No Kill was first, as a trio with a guy and gal guitarist each alternating on vocals. Their sound definitely came out in garage territory, while Bad Girlfriend, up second, was an all ladies rock and roll operation with an ensemble vocal cast. These bands have some potential and may be worth keeping an eye on as they come into form.
In my research before the show, Levek seemed to be a sort of progressive pop band. What I saw live was the band in a new direction, coming out with a glam, tropical sound featuring large doses of psychedelia. They played these jams as a group of six, two or three fiddling with keys at any moment. Their frontman, David Levesque, channeling Freddy Mercury in a dress was a highlight for me. My gripe was that their set was too short, Levek gave us a scant thirty minutes; for a band on tour, that’s right near the bare minimum. Their first LP, Look a Little Closer, comes out in the Fall, so I expect more of the good stuff next time.
This show did not end with Levek. Tropic of Pisces was the night’s closer, and a total sleeper hit. Eight bros crammed up on stage (including two saxophonists) and delivered us some serious disco beats. This band is the project of Mathew Scheiner, whose epic dance moves and singing absolutely had the tiny room in a tizzy. If you have the slightest inkling to dance, you must check them out at their next show.