REVIEW: Young Culture Bid Adieu
12/16 @ Empire Live, Albany
All photos by Kiki Vassilakis
“Young Culture left it all on that stage — ten years of blood, sweat, and tears.”
And here it was. The moment Young Culture would play their final notes as a band at a proper hometown throwdown. With their friends Waklee, Bike Routes, and Nick Rossi in tow, it promised to be a proper evening of emotions, songwriting, and energy and it delivered beyond anything anyone in that building could have imagined.
Clifton Park-based, Nick Rossi opened the show with a sound very reminiscent of late 90’s-early 00’s pop-punk bands, a sound I didn’t think anyone was still playing — especially being played by people who might not have even been born yet when some of those bands were doing their thing. They nailed it without just sounding like a cheap imitation, and it had the crowd lively. As it turned out, it was announced that this was their last show as Nick Rossi, and moving forward they would be known as DoubleXP. Next up was NJ-based, Bike Routes.
The immediate change in vibe from the upbeat pop-punk to acoustic-driven emo sound was stark, though well received by the crowd. After a few songs, however, the acoustic guitar went away and things picked up. The lead vocalist's voice reminded me of Jake Snider, of Minus The Bear and Sharks Keep Moving, and with some of the electronic backing tracks used I wondered if there was some influence there. It was a great set and I could see why they were pegged to be on the tour. Next up was a set from Brooklyn-based, Waklee.
Waklee felt a bit more subdued than I was expecting as the inbetween of Bike Routes and Young Culture. Seemingly out of nowhere, a trombone player, part-time member of the band, joined in. Though slightly jarring at first, by the end of the set the spots where he would join in added a nice flavor to their songs and brought some layers and energy to their sound. It ended up being a solid set, which set the stage for the headliners.
The moment everyone was there for — Shania Twain. Ok, not really, but that was the house music chosen by Young Culture (specifically “I Feel Like a Woman”) and I don’t think I expected to hear almost three hundred and fifty people singing along to that song that night. After that ended, an introductory song played for them to make their entrance and the place was, in one word, electric.
I’ll be the first to admit that YC’s music is not my cup of tea, but there is no denying the absolute talent of the band or their incredible live show energy and performance chops (I texted Magnan after the show and told him he’s one of the best front people I've ever seen at any level, and I stand by it). Every song was a sing along by default, whether one of their more upbeat pop-punk songs, which also saw an insane amount of crowd surfing and stage diving, or one of their more introspective tracks, which elicited tears from the audience — especially after Magnan and Pietrafesa addressed everyone with heartfelt statements of love and appreciation, and shed tears of their own which were infectious.
As the set progressed, all of the members of the band were pouring their hearts and souls into this performance.The crowd threw in chants of “YC fucks,” in between bangers, while Pietrafesa spun around, ripping guitar and approaching the front row of the crowd to hype them up. Bass player Mackenzie Clarke would also get in on the front of the stage action. At one point during their final song, Magnan even surfed into the crowd while still singing, mic in hand, and delivered an iconic moment. The band left it all on that stage — ten years of blood, sweat, and tears.
Young Culture might not have sold out arenas or had gold records over their decade long history, but their fanbase was extremely dedicated, and rightfully so. The shared love of their music, lyrics, and each other was palpable, something I personally haven’t seen from a band and their fans at this level. For Young Culture to have the chance to go out on their own terms was special for a band who truly deserved to write their final chapter their way. This was a legacy defining show for them, and they left no doubts that “YC Fucks” and their music will live on forever in the stories of so many’s youths.
If you’re interested in learning more about Young Culture, you can read my interview with Alex Magnan here.
