I walked into a very empty Knitting Factory around 8:15 PM on Saturday night. Starting to wonder what I had been sent into, I patiently waited with my drink and notepad as the opening band played on.Around 9, it was like someone turned on a switch: the place filled up with Brooklynites of a range of ages, all ready for some great music. One more band was on before Eytan, and while they brought some incredible energy, the crowd was buzzing as the Embassy started to take the stage. A man behind me said "they can't fill a whole hour," but something about the excitement in this crowd told me otherwise.
The first note I jotted down was "KILLER ENERGY!!!" This band turned it up to 11 immediately, and showed absolutely no signs of stopping. Somehow, they managed to find this perfect balance of a good time without being insane on stage. They got the crowd involved, keeping up a great rapport as I believe only bands playing in Brooklyn seem to be able to do.
Let me give you a quick breakdown of who's on stage, as far as I can tell: Caitlin is on bass, doing a really awesome job. Newcomer Anthony is playing guitar. Geoff (who apparently owns a big-headed cat) is back on sax (and just about every other additional instrument), Attis (man, it was hard to hear names at this point) is on drums, and of course Eytan is the lead, playing piano. Every single member is fantastic at their craft, and clearly putting them all together was an act of shear genius.
As the show rolled on, I heard (a few times) people in the crowd go "I love this song!" I have to say, by the chorus of each number, I was right there along with them. I've read the articles on this band, and they have some of the best influences anyone can have in the industry. While so many try to be obscure who they consider inspirations, Eytan makes no secret of being influenced by the true greats, Bob Dylan and The Beatles being amongst the top listed. These influences show in their music, yet the band is able to also show off a unique sound all their own.
They closed out the show with the single "Everything Changes." If you haven't seen the video, please check it out. It's a total show of respect for music and excellent intro to their creativity. Live, the song pumps up the energy completely one last time for the audience. As we just hit the Jewish New Year, I'll go ahead and share Eytan's message on the song: Do what you want this year - be who you want - everything changes anyway!
If you're in the NYC area, check them out in October at Spike Hill on the 17th and at Webster Hall on the 20th. You'll be in for a fun, excellent night of music with a band that really does know how to show us a good time!
