After having serious intentions to go to The Last Masquerade, a giant Halloween party in Bushwick with a ton of bands, art, performance, and good decorations for Halloween…
The people there tried to charge $20, although I’m press, I stopped by my usual spot instead. The crew at Bushwick Music Studios was much more welcoming, so I stayed.
John Phipps of BMS
The first band was The Accidents, with a grunge rock sound and a gory appearance. Ben Longwell sang and played guitar, with Ryan Barry on bass, Jason Shoulders on drums and guest Mike Fish on guitar. Melodic guitar riffs intertwined with heavy vocals over dramatic drum beats as they played a combination of ballads and heavier rock songs.
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/7385080[/vimeo]
Ben Longwell, The Accidents
Next up was Spokinn Movement, a hip hop group reflecting a variety of musical influences – jazz, reggae, rhythm and blues. iLLspoKiNN was the Emcee, with Chris Cuzme on bass, Dave Cinquegrana on guitar and Yoni Halevy on drums. Their unique improvisational style made their songs catchy and danceable.
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/7385880[/vimeo]
As the bands played, people showed up at all hours and in all types of outfits.
The crowd packed the studio when Not Blood, Paint came onstage. Band members George Frye, Mark Jaynes, Seth Miller and Joe Stratton were as strong performers as they were musicians. I was captivated, along with the rest of the audience. The music was heady, often filled with chants and dissonant electronic effects, but the guitars always provided memorable melody lines. Their carefully choreographed moves added to the performance art charm. Check out the videos…
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U Say USA played last. They are Steve Nelson singing, harmonica, and guitar, Leif Nelson on drums, Jake Strunk on bass, Ian Guilliam on guitar and backing vocals, and Bill Bartholomew as guest on synths. They have a Dylan-influenced, psychedelic-punk sound.
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/7392154[/vimeo]
Most people had left by 3, but some remained.
