On January 25 Rough Trade NYC saw two of indie rocks most promising folk-songwriters Julien Baker and Eskimeaux take their stage and break the heart of the sold out audience.
Julien Baker captured my heart last November when she opened for El Vy at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Her haunting debut album Sprained Ankle was as good as it gets, ending up as one of my favorite albums of 2015.
Fellow New York group Eskimeaux opened things up, sharing songs from their equally memorable 2015 album O.K., as well as from their new EP Year Of The Rabbit (out now via Double Double Whammy). Each performance I’ve seen from them is better than the last. They’re one of the true bright spots in the exciting Brooklyn scene.
As great as that opening performance at Music Hall was, it was just a taste. This time around I got the full Julien Baker experience at Rough Trade, where she played all of Sprained Ankle, in addition to great new song titled “Funeral Pyre.” The crowd was as hushed and attentive that you could ask for, almost to the point of it being uncomfortable, as you were afraid of being that guy who accidentally did something to divert the attention from Baker. But thankfully that never happened, and she held the attention of the room for the entire duration of her performance.
She’s back to New York soon for a bigger performance at Bowery Ballroom, and something tells me it’s going to be the best performance yet.
Find some photos of both Eskimeaux and Julien Baker below.
Eskimeaux:
Julien Baker:
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