Boojum brought their art-rock show RITUAL to Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on Friday, October 9, delivering a set of music that effortlessly blended EDM, progressive rock, house, and heady jams.
Supported by Kendall Street Company, the band delivered riffs, soundscapes, and beats that immersed the crowd in their high concept songs while keeping their feet moving on the dance floor.
Kendall Street Company began the evening with a roaring set, treating the crowd to an eclectic mix of jams and vivid storytelling. Hailing from Virginia, the band is known for its mix of musical improvisation, crowd participation, and theatrical antics that have made them a must-see live act.
The slow roar of a kick drum introduced Boojum, the Brooklyn-based band composed of guitarists/vocalists Chris Mackin and Josh Santiago, bassist/vocalist Sarah Elaz, and drummer Mike Coiro, joined by Henry Ryder on guest vocals/synthesizer and Angelo Antinori on percussion.
With pink hair, white wigs, and matching cult outfits, Boojum launched into “AVE (one hundred doors)”, locking into a trance beat led by a transportive synth lead and soaring guitars, with Mackin’s spooky vocal soon joined by Elaz and Santiago in haunting unison.
Next was “KUMAE (by the sacred lake)”, a Talking Heads-inspired track that had Mackin delivering his best David Byrne impression, followed by “ETERNA (handful of sand)”, which featured chugging guitar riffs and was joined by Louis Smith of Kendall Street Company as a sun god. Smith handled verses while Elaz delivered lead vocals with aplomb.
“FOLIA (letters on leaves)” was a set highlight, featuring groovy synth-bass as members traded vocals, the audience captivated and dancing into the night. For “VENTO (the anointing)”, chants of “for my body, your soul” filled the Bowl as Elaz shuffled into the crowd and led the audience in a cult conga line.
Mackin began “BARBATO (not of sun but of moon)” with an effectively rapped verse, followed by another earworm synth lead and call-and-response vocals with the rest of the band and another one of Mackin’s iconic guitar lines. The song progressed to a Pink Floyd-esue crescendo reminiscent of the band’s “Comfortably Numb.”
The set closed with the one-two punch of “VIRGO (sacrifice)” and “ECSTASIS (my body)”, the former a reggaeton jam sung by Santiago and the latter driven by a fast techno/house beat with a metal breakdown, sung by Ryder. For their encore, the band closed with the fan favorite Appeal, a song about the superficialities of fame.
Boojum continues their “Ritual Run” with a show at Park City Music Hall. You can get tickets here.
Setlist: “AVE (one hundred doors)”, “KUMAE (by the sacred lake),” “ETERNA (handful of sand)” feat. Louis Smith of Kendall Street Company, “FOLIA (letters on leaves),” “VENTO (the anointing),” “BARBATO (not of sun but moon)” feat. Thomas Mackin, “VIRGO (sacrifice),” “ECSTASIS (my body)”
Encore: “Appeal”
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