KingKween Arlene’s Grocery – New York City July 6, 2018
by Mark Ashe Photography
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It’s hard to know what to expect when you go to see KingKween live- their full, high energy sound seems unlikely to come out of a three piece indie band, and their ability to deliver on stage is a welcome surprise! This was the general sentiment when they took the stage at Arlene’s Grocery last Friday, a rare intimate treat on the heels of their debut at Bowery Ballroom in May. They kicked the show off with a brand new track, Give a Little, immediately setting the stage for a high energy dance party with just the right amount of attitude.
Frontwoman KT Mulholland’s unusually powerful vocals pair perfectly with producer Hitz’ masterful combo of synth and vocoder, letting us know right out of the gate this band is more than your average trio.
Full gallery of photos of this show here.
With their new single “Want Want Want,” they kicked it into high gear as drummer Rob Steadman playfully mixed driving rock beats with creatively re-imagined soul and disco to emerge with a seamless sound that is entirely his own. As the show progressed, Mulholland solidified her role as much more than a singer, incorporating various percussion instruments and electric guitar into her signature dance-heavy vocal performance.
The whole band pulls double duty, as Hitz and Steadman chime in with harmonized vocals that are a step above your average “oohs” and “ahs.” Moving into new-music territory, Mulholland showered a gleeful crowd in bubbles as they played live renditions of the soon to be released “Liquid Gold” and “Sex,” before closing the show with their unstoppably powerful newest track, “Lovers of Today.”
The only major disappointment of this performance was that the group was cut a bit short, rushing off the stage to make room for the next act while their fans chanted for “one more song.” We’ll just have to wait for their next show- August 24th at the Bitter End- to get it. But with a singing drummer playing both acoustic and electric sets, a singer whose voice seems to come out of her soul instead of her mouth, and a producer playing more keyboards than seems possible with only two hands- it’s well worth the wait!
Set list:
- Give a Little
- Want Want Want
- I’ll Be
- Liquid Gold
- Hunted
- Sex
- Lovers of Today
Full gallery of photos of this show here.
To submit a story or to just say hello, email us at [email protected]
Check out the Live Music News and Review.com Facebook page for updates and announcements.
