Concert Review: Charly Bliss Is Pure Entertainment At Music Hall of Williamsburg

I was curious to see Charly Bliss at Music Hall Of Williamsburg. Their video aim straight for shock and strange, while their music sets fires upon your ears. They are the true epitomes of anarchy, but not in the rage most people associate to anarchism. When you think chaos you think seething anger, and on January 21, Brooklyn was still angry, sad, and disappointed by the inauguration: a heavy theme acknowledged during their show. Yet, Charly Bliss showed that anarchism is not an act of chaos but a response to it. 

Eva Hendricks is the lead “anarchist”/vocalist of Charly Bliss and one of the best entertainers I have ever seen. When you think heavy, “punk poppers”, you may not think entertainers, but there is a surge of energy you need to carry to make sure your audience follows you into the wild that is the punk scene. To go to a Charly Bliss show is to sign up for an adventure that will leave you wide-eyed literally and figuratively. You will want to be the King or Queen of mosh pitting with how their instrumental and vocal arrangements were perfectly placed to inspire cool insanity. I say “cool insanity” because when you feel so free people could think you mad, but it is actually the coolest feeling you will ever feel and exactly what Charly Bliss gives you. They understand as musicians how chained you can feel to the labels and lies passed onto you as a person, to which they dedicated their set to such instances which have, in many ways, led to our current presidency. Something, again, they never failed to mention as a topic, but Hendricks actually puts weight into her words and expression, which furthers your desire to listen. 

Hendricks is intelligent in her commentary, sweet in her love for her audience, and blazing in her performance. You will be in awe to see a thoughtful, kind person in between songs transform into an in your face, physical force. It truly confuses you the calm and ease she can have in one moment to then, suddenly, morph, twist, and contort her body. It is her physicality that elevates her as a performer because you will not see many that give themselves body and soul to elaborate a song’s spirit. While many artists rely on their voice, she relies on her body to emphasize that she means what she sings and feels every lyric like a personal thought. Frankly, punk-rock is perfect to display the genuine weariness you can have at being let-down by relationships, society, and yourself, which is the essential heart of the genre. Yet, there is a pop undercurrent to Charly Bliss that comes in Hendricks lollipop voice: her crystallized, cherry vocals will leave you salivating for more. 

I cannot push any farther the epicness of Hendricks as a performer and vocalist because, in essence, she is what makes Charly Bliss so accessible as a punk-pop band. Punk can be an acquired taste for people fearful of entering a world based on force and forwardness, but Charly Bliss, as a band, has such charm that you will not mind their push to break down walls. While the punk genre and Charly Bliss’ music, thematically, is about the flaws of humanity, there is an inherent optimism to their  sound. From their pouncing drums, guitar/bass arrangements meant to ignite your inner warrior, and Hendricks as a fierce, lead singer, Charly Bliss makes you see it is not enough to complain about what is wrong; you also have stand up for what is right. As persons and a band, they showed Music Hall of Williamsburg that battles may be lost, but wars are won because you stood to fight for what is right.  For More Information on Charly Bliss Click Here.