Near Northeast @ Black Cat [DC] - 11/6/2021
Near Northeast at Black Cat (Photo ©2021 Mauricio Castro)
The folk-meets-ambient-electronic outfit Near Northeast have been a DC staple for a few years now, from their 2015 debut Curios to their newly released fourth album Gatherings. With songs like “Shadow” and “Shelter,” they traverse the Venn diagram of two musical worlds, combining violins, cellos, theremins, drums, banjos, and synthesizers into a sound that stands out in the DC music community. Their experimental approach was on display at their Black Cat show - guitarist Avy Malik utilized a tuning hammer and even his mouth to play his guitar, and Austin Blanton played on what he calls the ‘Boopcase,’ a custom-built synthesizer/sequencer built into a suitcase. They continue to refine their sound more and more with each album, and the songs they performed from Gatherings are their best yet.
Gatherings is available now on music streaming services and Bandcamp.
Opening for Near Northeast were DC-based soul/punk group Lightmare and Andrew Grossman of The North Country, performing North Country songs as a duo with former bandmate and cellist Daniel Frankhuizen.
Photos by Mauricio Castro
Covid Safety Rating
Venue Check for Proof of Vaccination? Yep
Masks required? Yep
Was the audience wearing masks? 80-90%
But at least the staff was wearing masks, right? Yep