Photos by Omar Kasrawi
Fans were lined up around the block at the Gramercy Theatre on Tuesday the 7th of May. Their goal? To hear the soulful vibes of Billy Raffoul (who we caught last year at Mercury Lounge) and the dancy pop rock of Parachute.
First up was Raffoul, who took the stage solo accompanied by his long flowing locks and a guitar. Waiting for him was a brand new member of his “band” he dubbed the “popsicles.” His stand up light kit. Truth be told, Raffoul only needs that guitar and voice to silence an audience. He came armed with tunes off his new EP Running Wild but made sure to throw in fan favorites like “I’m Not a Saint”. He was effortlessly charming and cracking plenty of jokes. Hell, he even brought his own rim shot effect to end jokes with.
But it was his music that stood out. Raffoul manages to tap into longing and despair while still shining a light on love and hope. Whether he’s plugged in with a backing band, or flying solo, like on this night, he commands one’s full attention. And on this night he had that from a packed Gramercy crowd.
Then it was Parachute, and man do their fans love them. There was howling and jumping fans who didn’t stop until the final tune. The band put their smooth guitar riffs and sax jams to good use throughout the night. Frontman Will Anderson was bopping up and down and at times let out howls that looked like he was ready to pop a vein in his neck. And their fans loved every minute of it.
Find a full gallery of photos from both performances posted in the gallery below.
Parachute:
Billy Raffoul:
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