Skaters @ Bowery Ballroom (February 24, 2014)

Monday night was Skaters night, as it was the celebration of the release of their debut album Manhattan. What better a place to welcome the arrival of their album than in the very place that it’s named after? A packed out Bowery Ballroom hosted the band’s homecoming celebration show with support coming from Brooklyn acts The So So Glos and Bad Girlfriend.

I only caught the tail end of female quartet Bad Girlfriend’s set but it was enjoyable from what little I saw. Jangly punk with a bit of a dance kick.

The So So Glos were up next and were all business as usual. It was actually my first time seeing them play outside of Brooklyn. They ripped through their set, urging the crowd to get on their level. They stayed true to their punk roots, telling fans to get off their phones and start moving. They even mocked some fans were were watching with their arms folded. All of this is a part of their nature, and they backed it all up with a energetic set that was a lot of fun.

It was clear that youthful NYC band Skaters are a hot draw for a young crowd looking to cause a stir. From the minute the band took the stage, things slowly started getting rougher and rougher at the front of the crowd, until the breaking point of “Deadbolt.” It’s hard to ignore The Strokes influence on Skaters, from the voice of frontman Michael Ian Cummings to even the particular way he sung with the microphone on stage. There’s just a cool factor that the band radiates while commanding that stage.

There’s also an electricity that comes naturally to Skaters live performance, so it’s understandable why they create such a ruckus in the crowd. “I Wanna Dance (But Don’t Know How)” and “Miss Teen Massachusetts” were fun bursts of energy live, as was their cover of The Smiths’ “This Charming Man” which came out of no where, but was done to perfection. It was also a surprise to me to see Myles Matheny playing with the band, as he used to tour with The Drums.

Skaters bring a youthful edge to their live shows that leaves you with a fun entertaining experience that has me excited to see them again, only to get a little bit more crazy in the crowd myself. Be sure to check out Manhattan, it’s a good record that will bring you a bit of life during the chill of winter.

Check out some photos of all three bands posted below.

Skaters: