On a night when the rain brutally poured down, causing bars and restaurants to fill up on Bedford Ave, there were many more people at the Knitting Factory than I expected. The venue’s distance from hipster paradise, along with the horrible weather, made me think that the venue would be pretty empty, but by the time Honduras started playing, there was already a pretty good crowd gathered. Keeping all this in mind, I started to think that the bands performing that night also had good enough reputations to gather a crowd of people on an incredibly wet Thursday night.

Honduras started off the night. My friend characterized them as “beachy punk,” which was definitely an atmosphere booster on a horribly rainy night. I got the impression that they are really concerned with their instrumentals, making sure that it sounded just right. But that didn’t mean there weren’t moments of fun on stage. The more I listened, the more they reminded me of early ’70s punk, so it’s definitely fitting that they’re a NY-based band. They are definitely a band to follow, and I will make sure to listen to more of their catalog. Make sure to go check them out when the return to the Knitting Factory in December.

I was super excited to see Cold Fronts. Having listened to their record on repeat, I definitely came to see them as a fan. They started off their set with “Buschleague” which is the first track off their album Forever Whatever. They followed it up with “Know It All,” which can be found on their album as well as their Forever EP. Both songs are upbeat and should get you to dance, but I wasn’t exactly surprised that barely anyone in the crowd moved at all. There’s a horrible epidemic spreading throughout Brooklyn and other parts of New York that renders people immobile, except for a head bob or a slight movement of the shoulders. This “I’m too cool” attitude taking over is beginning to depress me, so I was pleasantly surprised when lead singer Craig Almquist jumped into the crowd to try and stir up some enthusiasm. I loved the gesture so much that I had to compliment him after the set, and he told me I should go to Philly to see some actual audience participation. Along with the songs I recognized from Forever Whatever, they performed some new songs, which were up-tempo and similar in style to their existing work. I was really happy with their set, and they seem like really nice guys. Having found out they’ve performed with the Cribs (one of my favorite bands of all time) made me like them even more. I will be on the lookout for their next show… hopefully it’ll involve more enthusiasm from the audience.

The last band of the night was SKATERS, an NYC punk band whose guitarist I saw perform with the Cribs at Williamsburg music hall a few months prior. I could tell by the crowd that the majority was there to see them. They started off their set with “Deadbolt,” one of my favorite songs off their album Manhattan. They also performed “Nice Hat” and “I Wanna Dance (But I Don’t Know How),” which had me and my friends dancing to the best of our ability. The energy from the crowd definitely picked up during their performance, and their song choices were well received. Their album Manhattan was released in 2014, so I’m eagerly anticipating their next record. Though their website lists no current shows, they told the crowd that they’re planning to perform at Baby’s All Right in January.

The night started off horribly, my shoes completely soaked and my jacket drenched, but it ended on a high note, each of the three bands delivering incredible sets. It made my trek out to Brooklyn worth it.

– Claudia Arnoldo