Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Pier 17
7/20/22
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club opened for The Cult last night in New York, at Pier 17 on the East River. it was 100 degrees in New York yesterday. By showtime, it was a more reasonable 85, but still pretty warm. I dressed for comfort — sleeveless coral SXSW t-shirt (vintage, acquired last time BRMC played at SXSW in Austin in 2010, and matching (more or less, I’m pretty color-blind) red-and-white shorts.
Everybody else wore black. Black shirts. Black pants. Black hoodies. Black dresses. One guy in a Johnny Depp black pirate hat. Guess I missed the “black” theme — did I say that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Cult were playing? Dammit — I hate missing an important memo.
Despite the heat, it really was a beautiful night on the river, with crystal clear views of the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn ‘Bridge among the great sights to take in. And Pier 17 is a pretty nice venue, too. Lead singer and bassist Robert Levon Been admitted, “This is a whole lot nicer than most of the shitholes we play in.”
Like the t-shirt I bought last night says, BRMC has been around since 1998. If my math is right, that makes them about 24 years old, which blows my mind. Although my 30-something daughters no doubt remember BRMC tunes blasting frequently in the car and in the house. I’ve been a BRMC fan for about that long, and have collected their music and attended several of their concerts across the country.
BRMC is bad-ass. They are a trio from San Francisco, comprised of Robert Levon Been (bass and vocals), Peter Hayes (lead guitar), and Leah Shapiro (chick drummer). They have a very distinct, consistent style, that combines rock, grunge, alternative, and psychedelic themes. They have a very smooth, laid back, heavy sound. They sound a little like ZZ Top on a bad drug trip. I think they’re great.
Twenty-four years into it, they still crank. Last night’s set did a nice job of capturing different styles across their many albums, and hit some of their big-time songs like Red Eyes and Tears, Spread Your Love, and Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll, which was their closer. They did a cover of The Call’s Let The Day Begin — fun fact, Michael Been of The Call is father of the vocalist and bass player for BRMC.
Great set, but here’s what I would have wanted them to play:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63GEXwEOh47NlGq4DdUqjn?si=d1JdcCcjSviLZDyTlCWnKg
If you watch any TV at all, you’ve no doubt heard BRMC’s music featured on a slew of shows, including episodes of Sons of Anarchy, True Detective, The Twilight Saga, Six Feet Under, Peaky Blinders, and even The Gilmore Girls.
Next up: Linda Lindas at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Friday night. Oh!