I’ve only been to one of these types of fancy boutique hotels a few times (in Boston it would be something like the Ames Hotel) but when I first heard Brooklyn’s Small Black this past Tuesday it brought me back there, viagra buy only this time I was not at an upscale hotel, I was at Great Scott in Allston. Much more my speed. Small Black’s studio stuff gets lumped into the chillwave genre, but live they brought a lot more life and energy to their material. Most importantly, though, they were a great time. I think this is why the fancy boutique hotel lobbies play this kind of stuff. It’s simple and fun. There’s a beat that gets you moving and there’s not a whole lot to think about except maybe how you’re going to catch a buzz or “is she looking at me?”
The show was atmospheric and ambient. You didn’t really need to pay attention to what was going on on stage or absorb the lyrical content to enjoy it. Small Black seem to be experts at setting their own vibe and owning the room with it. From the first song to the last they established a synth and beat rhythm that grabbed the small crowd and didn’t let go. Even though this band doesn’t want to be lumped into the chillwave trend, the synth-pop sensibilities are there and undeniable. What sets them apart is the crisp musicianship led by guitarist/bassist Juan Pieczanski. As their lead guitar player this guy certainly knows his way around his gear as he shifted from effects that made his axe sound like the Edge on one song to disco-pop Nile Rodgers on the next. They closed their set with their most familiar song, No Stranger which got people’s hands in the air.
Music is generally supposed to be an art form that is void of social class division, but I couldn’t help but think of this band as rich white girl music that you’d hear in Manhattan, or Brooklyn, where Small Black hails from. This is probably the connection I’m trying to make between the boutique hotel lobby music and what Small Black does so well. This show was super fun, super trendy synth-pop dance music and there’s nothing wrong with that (except maybe that I left the show humming a Foster the People song).
