Last Saturday night, lucky fans got up close and personal with Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social for a nearly two-hour performance at Bowery Electric. Telling many of the stories behind his songs, Malin entertained the packed room with humorous anecdotes and even joined fans on the floor during a portion of his set.
A fitting start to the set, Malin and St. Marks Social kicked off the night with “Burning the Bowery.” Their last performance with Malin, his band, St. Marks Social impressed with killer guitar riffs and heavy hitting percussion.
“You guys gotta come closer! Make room,” Malin told the crowd. Intensifying as the night progressed, the band had the entire room dancing along.
The high energy set included current single, “Disco Ghetto” as well as older fan favorites. Before segueing into “Riding On the Subway,” Malin told the crowd it was about a girl he saw on the 7 train to Flushing.
“This one goes out to people that still like to go to record stores,” he said. He went on to explain how he tried to get the nerve to talk to a girl on the train who had a Replacements record in her bag. Unfortunately, he never got the chance. “The doors opened and she got off. At least I got a good song out of it.”
While his high energy impressed, it was tracks like beautiful ballad “Brooklyn” that struck a chord. With heartfelt vocals and soaring guitar riffs, his emotion was well showcased throughout the song.
As his two-hour set came to a close and his 14 month tour with St. Marks Social ended, Malin thanked fans for their support over the years.
The Young Things and River James opened the night with solid sets. D.C.-based River James warmed up the crowd with powerful lyrics, heart-thumping percussion and wavering guitar parts. Playing many tracks off their debut EP, including the moving “Avenue A” and the beautiful “Dreams,” the band impressed.
The Young Things followed shortly after and invigorated the room with their classic rock & roll. Reminiscent to the Beach Boys and The Clash, the New York-based band had everyone on the floor dancing along. Bass heavy tracks like “All My Friends Are Junkies” had much to offer with soaring guitar riffs and a driving percussion beat while “Uptown” had the crowd hanging on every word.
Though The Young Things only played for 30 minutes, they easily won over the room one song in. New Yorkers won’t have to wait too long to see them perform again though, as they played the next night at Bowery Electric and continue booking gigs around the city. An act this good won’t be slotted as an opener for too long.