Watch Johnny & the Bootlegs “Thrift Shop” From New EP ‘NYC Rags’

The “Thrift Shop” video brings a balance of comical scripted scenes, and live footage of the band, providing a homage of sorts to ZZ Top and their slew of lighthearted music videos. Frontman John Santiago shared, “The idea of us going to a thrift shop to try on ‘somebody else’s clothes to wear our way’ just felt like a lot of fun and relatable. I mean, living in NYC, everyone has thrifted at some point – it’s a necessity of sorts. My personal favorite spot (and the boys now agree) is Urban Jungle in Bushwick and we mention the joint in the song because we’ve popped in there and rummaged their racks plenty.”

Live shots of the band were filmed at The Studio at Webster Hall, prior to its closure last year. Santiago worked as the General Manager of the legendary joint, which made the opportunity possible.

“I came up with the idea in the last couple of weeks before Webster Hall closed up and last minute got Dream But Don’t Sleep Productions to jump on board – we got what is now the final music video ever to be filmed in The Studio at Webster Hall! We went in on a Sunday afternoon while there was a hardcore/metal festival happening on the top three floors and captured the live scenes. We got the filming done and then I jumped into working the event, haha.”

Reflecting on Johnny’s “wild six years” of NYC nightlife and personal trials and tribulations, the NYC Rags EP was recorded at Brooklyn’s Studio G by engineer Jeff Berner (Psychic TV, Chris Cubeta and the Liars Club, NAAM, Heliotropes) and is available for stream and purchase on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. New Jersey’s The Aquarian listed Johnny & the Bootlegs as one of the “Top 30 NYC Bands to Catch Live in 2018.”

Catch Johnny & the Bootlegs on Friday, June 8 at Asbury Park Brewery in Asbury, NJ, and on Wednesday, June 20 at Silvana in Harlem.