Apollo Run performed to a packed room last night at Mercury Lounge. Dubbed their “Dragon Party,” the set included many of the tracks off their newly released EP, Here Be Dragons, Vol II. Blending a three-piece horn section, powerful keyboards, intriguing bass accompaniment and a heart pounding drum beat, the band impressed.
“Dragon Party are you ready?” frontman John McGrew asked the crowd before the band began their set. “Dragon Party is where we’ve been and we’re we’re going,” drummer Graham Fisk later added before McGrew took the stage in a dragon mask while singing the powerful “Fireman.”
Energy jumped off the stage and onto the floor as fans danced and screamed along. One even held a sign high in the air which read, “We Love You Mr. John.” Mr. John, aka frontman John McGrew, leads a double life as Apollo Run’s lead singer and music teacher at a nursery school in Brooklyn.
Throughout the set, McGrew’s striking vocals captivated. While his voice soared impeccably when alone on keyboard, at times the blasting horn and bass beat overpowered. The audience didn’t seem to mind though, as they sang along word for word. Apollo Run ended their set onstage with the beautiful holiday track, “All In Good Time,” dedicated to McGrew’s father, before the trio joined the audience on the floor with the energetic “H B D.” With foot stomping and hand clapped rhythms, Apollo Run showed everyone what they’re made of.
For more on Apollo Run, read my interview with McGrew on CBS and visit their Website. The band is currently working on their debut full length due out next year. Watch the band play “Fireman” below.