[Photo by acidjack]
Some of the best nights in New York are the ones that seem to have gone completely off the rails that right themselves in the most inspiring of ways. Organizer Blake Luley had the idea to put on a DIY show on a Bushwick rooftop to support the people of the Gaza Strip, with all of the proceeds going to UNRWA and Free Gaza. The event seemed poised for success; the stifling heat and humidity of this brutal summer had broken, the skies were clear, and fans were being treated to some excellent music on a sprawling (if somewhat notorious) rooftop at 210 Cook St., with panoramic views of Brooklyn and Manhattan complemented by a graceful summer breeze. But before the sun had even gone down, the cops had other ideas, cutting the set of Charles Burst off mid-song (that set to be posted soon), arresting one concertgoer, and sending the party, and the musicians, literally into the street.
But the bands, the organizers and the fans decided that the cause was too important – and the music too important – to leave it at that. With bands and fans alike all pitching in to help load gear, food and of course, alcohol into vans, the show went on, moving to a nearby backyard provided by one of the members of Motel Motel. In but a few hours, extension cords were run to the yard, the PAs and gear were set up, the food and drinks were being sold again, and text messages, Facebook posts, Twitter feeds and the rest beamed the news to those who cared. And the people came.
After a solid set by the ever-consistent Motel Motel (that set to be posted soon as well), Soft Black, who I had not seen before, came out and blew me away. As I sat mere feet from frontman Vincent Cacchione, the band gave an 8-song ripper of a performance that included several of the best numbers from the band’s latest The Earth is Black as well as some new songs that should hopefully see the light of day this year or early next. The band’s name is spot-on, as they offer up a sound that draws from classic rock, folk, Americana and a hint of punk contrasted with lyrics that are uncharacteristically dark. The Earth is Black, in fact, a narrative song cycle inspired by some of Cacchione’s nightmares. Fittingly, the band dedicated “Ashtray Christ,” the strongest number of the night, to the show’s organizer. Like the rest of us, by then he was smiling.
I recorded this set with a soundboard feed providing primarily vocals, with the DPA mics directly in front of the band to record the instruments. The sound quality is outstanding.
Stream “Ashtray Christ”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0087SoftBlack2010/SoftBlack-AshtrayChrist2010-08-07.mp3]
Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]
Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].
Soft Black
2010-08-07
Gaza Benefit Show
A Backyard in Bushwick
Brooklyn, NY USA
An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com
Equipment: DPA 4021 + stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mics “onstage”, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (compress board track, mixdown, set fades, amplify and balance channels, light EQ, tracking, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC Level 8
Tracks [Total Time 27:59]
01 I’m Not Afraid of You
02 Aiming For Your Head
03 I Am An Animal
04 Fists in the Dark
05 Ashtray Christ
06 The Lions
07 The Girl Who Ate Her Own Heart
08 Heaven is a Place
If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Soft Black, visit their website, and purchase their records and merchandise directly from their online store here.
Please also consider supporting the causes that were the reason for this show: UNRWA and the Free Gaza Movement.
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