Review: Nothing Drab About It: Drab Stucco plays a stellar album release show
06/29 @ Mojo’s Cafe and Gallery, Troy
“There can be much ado made about recorded songs versus live performance, as some bands are “live bands” and some “studio bands.” Drab Stucco is both. The songs were just as polished as the studio recordings, and the studio recordings, as it turns out, captured their live energy.”
“Never miss a Sunday show,” is something you might hear among certain music circles, but with the impending doom of Monday quickly approaching, that can be a tall order for some. Well, there was a reward for fighting the Sunday scaries on a beautiful summer night in the backyard at Mojo’s Cafe & Gallery on 4th St. in Troy this past Sunday. A three-band bill celebrating headliner Drab Stucco’s album release brought high energy, emotion, and a sonic buffett for all in attendance.
Celebrating the release of their debut album, Going Somewhere, available now on all major platforms and CD (that’s right, physical media isn’t dead nor should it die, but that’s a conversation for another time), Troy-based Drab Stucco filled out the bill with fellow Troy-based bands, Mirrors Down and Galene. It felt like every bit the proper celebration of an excellent album that was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Drab Stucco’s own Nick O’Brien, who also ran sound for the show. The backyard of Mojo’s felt like a DIY venue in Brooklyn, without the pretentiousness you might associate with that kind of vibe — the stage area, a couple of area rugs blanketing the gravel-covered ground, was adorned with mismatching string lights. The back of the “stage” was Mojo’s vibrant purple and green floral mural that meets with an old industrial looking brick with a missing window above it. It was a perfect scene for an intimate show. Mirrors Down kicked things off.
Led by Asa Morris, Mirrors Down is an acoustic-driven band with elements of noise that is unexpectedly heavy at times. The songs are extremely raw and emotive with the music itself feeling like you’re standing on the ocean shore as a kid waiting for the next big wave to come crashing down on you, maybe even knocking you down, but you were giddy to stand up and wait for the next one as you enjoyed the ocean’s calm in the meantime. The band is rounded out by pianist Julia Melko, guitarist and noise maker Ian Mahoney, and drummer and backup vocalist, James Leschavich. You can see the potential brewing of a new band composed of scene veterans that can make a name for itself beyond those who know them already.
Next up was the headliner, Drab Stucco. While the headliner playing second may seem a bit unorthodox, it makes complete sense in the context of 8pm on a Sunday night versus 9pm on a Sunday night, a move that more bands should make when the situation calls for it, but I digress. Listening to the album on my way to the show, there were elements of late 90’s/early 2000’s indie rock and pop-punk, without it feeling totally unoriginal. As it was the album release, they played the entire album front to back. There can be much ado made about recorded songs versus live performance, as some bands are “live bands” and some “studio bands.” Drab Stucco is both. The songs were just as polished as the studio recordings, and the studio recordings, as it turns out, captured their live energy.
Led by lead singer and guitarist, Ethan Griswold set the tone with high energy and good focused banter, not taking too much time between songs, yet staying engaged with the audience. Things really took off when Ethan introduced their third song (and third track of the album), Flower Boy, quipping “this is a ripper and will really freak your nut out.” With Nick O’Brien providing lead guitar and backing vocals, and the rhythm section of bass player Jacob Griswold, and drummer Nate Bowman, Drab Stucco did just that over the course of their set. As it turns out, there is nothing drab about this band.
The last act of the night was Galene, a curiously interesting trio. As it turns out, they are a band that is still trying to figure out who and what they are, according to guitarist and vocalist Nick Tirado, when we spoke for a few minutes at the end of the night. The band consists of Nick, Taran Shaefer on bass and Harris Eisenhardt on drums. With elements of slacker rock, the band Primus, and even some hip-hop elements, it’s hard to quite place a finger on them. They are entertaining and unapologetically themselves, which adds to their allure.
Follow Drab_stucco, mirrors.down, Galene_NY, and Mojoscafegallery on Instagram and check out Drab Stucco’s new album out now on all major platforms (or buy their CD on Bandcamp for $5 for Ethan, who quipped during the set, “I need to eat, I can survive for a week on $5.”)