Yelawolf and Cyhi Da Prynce celebrate Fat Tuesday in NYC

Yelawolf was certainly a highlight of SXSW last year. Ever since I saw him at the Fader Fort, I've been wanting to see him again. I actually had tickets to see him play a New York show in December, but unfortunately got in an argument with the girl I was with and left during the opener.... Don't worry she was one of those "Being nice is a sign of weakness" "Show a girl you're not interested and treat her bad for her to like you" girls... Not my style.. Whatever.. Her loss... Anyway I was really excited when I saw that I'd have another chance to see Yelawolf at the Highline Ballroom. I was even more excited that his opener was Cyhi da Prynce.

Javelin Party it up in Brooklyn

Last night Javelin played the Glasslands in Brooklyn. A couple of questions were going on in my mind the whole set.

First: Are my dance moves too much? Do I need to scale back?
Second:  How are these two guys producing this music?
Third: Seriously do I need to scale back my dancing?

Prince's Last show in NY turns into a Giant Party!

We usually don't cover big shows here at Freak Out Music. Usually we go for more up and coming acts. This Prince show was an exception. Today was one of those days for me where nothing seemed to go right. Everything just felt off. In the middle of the day I decided that I needed to turn my luck around and on impulse called my friend and decided to go to the last Prince show of his five show run. Man what a good decision that was! Totally killed my bad day and turned it into one that I'll remember for a while. Once the lights dimmed and Prince emerged from the bottom of the stage with a sparkling golden outfit, the crowd went flat out crazy. He opened his set with a rocking version of Laydown and then immediately got the crowd in MSG dancing by transitioning into 1999. What makes a Prince show great is the energy that he brings to his concerts. This was no exception. Whether you like his music or not, you can't deny the fact that Prince is a performer. Whether he is dancing on stage, ripping another guitar solo or sliding to his knees screaming, you can tell that he gives it his all and the audience in turn gave it their all dancing in the stands. For Prince's last show of a 5 run stint in NY, you knew he would have a couple of surprises. One of these happened early on when he brought Kim Kardashian on to the stage to dance with him. 

Communion Party in Brooklyn

Yesterday Ben Lovett from Mumford and Sons had his second Communion show in Brooklyn, NY. Communion is basically a showcase of bands performing one after another to create an awesome night of music. The bands on the lineup were as diverse as ever. What started off as a folksy country showcase ended up as a loud rock show leaving my ears ringing. Definitely a crazy mix. The first three acts to come out on stage were all country based.

The first on the lineup was Dawn Landes from Louisville, Kentucky. Her songs had a gritty country/folk sound which she delivered well. Her set was filled with songs about love and also about getting your heartbroken... The vicious circle of life.. Overall it was a nice set that reminded me of being back home in Knoxville, Tennessee. After Dawn Landes finished up, Ben Lovett came out to introduce the next band David Mayfield Parade and he made a point to mention that they were "Fucking Amazing".

Oh Land live from Hiro Ballroom Review

Arriving to the venue you can tell this would be a special show. Even though it was cold and rainy, people were lined up around the street waiting to be let into a sold out Hiro Ballroom. That is dedication by the fans. Oh Land rewarded them by giving it her all during her performance. Soon after everybody got inside, the lights dimmed and Oh Land took the stage. The stage was occupied by Oh Land, her drummer Hans and a bunch of crazy light up balloons. During the show at different points the balloons would project her face on them and serve as backup singers. Yeah I know that sentence sounded weird but that's what happened... Anyway Oh Land did a great job owning the stage by dancing all over it. It was amazing seeing the energy she brought to her performance. Her songs consisted of all types of synthesizers mixed with her unique voice. After playing about an hour long set consisting of such hits as "Sun of a Gun" "White Nights" and "Wolf and I" Oh Land left the stage. When coming back on for her three song encore, she surprised the audience by playing a cover of Fleet Foxes "White Winter Hymnal" followed by "We Turn it Up" (Which turned into a crowd sing along) and she closed out the set with "Rainbow". The crowd gave Oh Land a warm reception and she honestly seemed grateful. By the time the show was over a heavy snowstorm hit New York leaving the crowd walking out into what could only be described as a Winter wOHnderLAND... Yeah I went there. Anyway the show was great and be sure to check her if she comes to your area. Her live shows are a guaranteed fun time. 

Mona Live from the Mercury Lounge Review

After having to cancel their show in Brooklyn yesterday due to weather, Tennessee band Mona rocked the Mercury Lounge. Fresh off their tour in Europe, these guys seemed grateful to be back in the states. The band came on after a rocking set by Devin Therriault (who we will cover later). Mona doesn't even have an album out yet, but that didn't prevent them from playing H.A.M (Hard As a Motherfucker). One thing I was worried about coming into the concert was whether the singer would have the same singing chops as he had on the studio mixes. Luckily the guy can flat out sing and delivered in a live setting. The setlist was short, but that's to be expected for any band without an album out. They played their radio hits "Listen to Your Love" and "Teenager" along with other songs not yet released. Overall these guys have a lot of potential and I would love to track how these guys develop as time goes on. Full setlist after the break.