Concert Review: Lake Street Dive Bring Summer Jams To BRIC! Celebrate Brooklyn Festival Series
Lake Street Dive’s feel-good blend of country-rock and blue-grass came off like a tasty iced tea/ lemonade concoction; you just drank their songs into the summer’s night. Bric Celebrate Brooklyn Festival is like a giant spiritual/ musical watch telling NYC, “Hey, Summer Time is here. SO WAKE UP!”. What better than the joy that is Lake Street Dive to do that, and launch a festival way worth both its FREE and ticketed shows.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival has to be one of my favorite NY music series because it is so welcoming to everyone, and it is a gorgeous location. Amongst so tall they seem to scrape the sky and stream lights criss-crossing above the crowd, there is an instant feel of “Yeah, I am in the right place!”. Hence. I must remark that BRIC’s Prospect Park Bandshell location was packed. People were standing in droves or lying in pockets of grass just to absorb the jams of Lake Street Drive like, they were jelly to our soul’s peanut butter. Something about their music feels right, and goes perfectly with BRIC’s “belonging” atmosphere. This sense of “belonging” comes from the awe-inspiring vocals of lead singer Rachel Price. This woman does not sing… SHE SANGS! Her pitch was perfect, and every riff she made was like a fruit basket being offered to my soul. It was clear that she loves her fellow band-mates as they joked with each other, which only made me thank the Heavens that this might songstress was a good person, as well. From “Rental Love” to “Saving All My Sinning”, their tracks never lost a sense of brightness, which vibrantly contrasted the cool, night-sky. Their songs were literal stars especially with their blue-grassy covers of Prince’s “When You Were Mine” and George Michael’s “Faith”. I was surprised to hear such rejuvenating, stripped down version of these songs that are the epitome of “getting down”. Of course, Lake Street Drive did not take away the dancing edge of these covers, but they are such exceptional instrumentalists that they brought an earthiness/ meekness to songs that are all about riling up a person’s soul/ lust. Thus, It was, literally, impossible to not have a grounded sense of happiness from their show.
Lake Street Dive are simply great musicians that charmed the audience. When Rachel humorously remarked that double bassist and fellow vocalist, Bridget Kearney, always wears a side-pony-tail, the crowd wildly cheered with glee. I laughed. I have never seen side pony-tails earn such a riotous applause, and I even witnessed a 70 year old man with long hair put his in the now treasured hair-do while they sang the track of the same. I mention this instance because it encompassed the child-like silliness and fun that is Lake Street Dive. Moreover, it shows the unusual and unique greatness of people you will meet at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival. With line-ups like, Yeasayer and The Shins coming through, you better be there. For More Information On BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival Click Here and To Learn More About Lake Street Dive Click Here.
