The Orwells at Irving Plaza (October 15, 2014)
A few weeks ago The Orwells played their biggest show in New York City to date, a headlining gaunt at Irving Plaza. It was a great bill, rounded out by Skaters, as well as relatively newcomers The Johnnys.
The Johnnys were up first. They’re a fairly new 4-piece out of New York who warmed up the very young crowd that filled in early for the show. There set breezed on by, but showed promise for sure. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from these guys very soon.
It seems like Skaters have been touring non-stop all year, already playing New York at Bowery Ballroom in February, and Governors Ball in June. This time around Kirk Schoenherr has replaced Myles Matheny in the live lineup, and the band had a few new songs to share. Otherwise, they delighted with the best cuts from their debut album Manhattan, which has been one of the more delightful rock offerings of the year.
Until this show, I somehow had never seen The Orwells live (but we’ve covered them on here, Daniel Topete shot them last year at Shea Stadium). It was long overdue, but worth the wait. The show was a part of the final leg of their tour for Disgraceland, which is one of the better rock albums 2014 has seen.
Live, the group chug along with a youthful intensity, led by frontman Mario Cuomo. The band’s young spirit is seen through their dirty garage-rock licks which can go from chugging riffs to an almost blues-like saunters. Cuomo doesn’t hold back his goofy side on stage, when he’s not climbing speakers or going into the crowd. These guys are young, and do show their age at times, but do more than enough to put their talent on display, proving that the future of rock and roll is that much brighter with bands like The Orwells coming around.
Find photos of The Orwells, Skaters, and The Johnnys posted below.
The Orwells:
