Sunday, Aug. 3, I had the great pleasure of attending the first ever Bazooka! Fest at the Meadows in Brooklyn. Curated by Jake Whitener of Matador Records and member of the band Sunshine Convention, the event featured such indie legends as Elf Power, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Moles, and many more.
I arrived at the Meadows at around 2:00pm, just in time to catch Kleenex Girl Wonder, the musical project of Graham Smith and a band that I was very surprised to learn was not part of the Elephant 6 collective. I was only vaguely familiar with KGW before Bazooka! Fest but I will definitely be listening to a lot more of them after seeing their performance.
Next up was the duo of James McNew and Jennifer O’Connor. When I first saw the poster, I didn’t realize that James McNew was the bassist for Yo La Tengo and the man behind Dump, McNew’s solo musical project that I started listening to a few years ago, so once I made the connection I was really looking forward to this performance.
Star Card is a band I had no idea about before I caught their set on the Meadow’s patio stage but I’ll definitely be checking them out now.
Next up was Philly’s Golden Apples, who played an awesome cover of Sparklehorse’s “Hammering the Cramps” and some unreleased songs from their upcoming album.
Next was Ex Pilots, which is another band I had only heard about but I really enjoyed their set. They also had six members that couldn’t all fit on the tiny patio stage, so their bassist and one of their guitarists were on the ground.
I ended up buying a CD of their 2024 album “Motel Cable” after the show.
Starcleaner Reunion was the last addition to the Bazooka! Fest lineup and I’m really glad they were included because they played a great set.
When I bought my Bazooka! Fest tickets, I had no idea The Pains of Being Pure at Heart would be performing, but when they were announced I literally gasped because I was so excited to see them play. Their performance was everything I ever hoped and more (Even though they didn’t play Anne with an E).
Next up were the Laughing Chimes from south-east Ohio. They actually did an interview with WHUS’s promotions director earlier this year that you can read here.
I have no idea how The Moles have been off my radar for so long but they ended up being one of my favorite sets of the night. Their front man, the eccentric Richard Davies, was performing various antics while on stage and I really enjoyed his banter between songs.
Finally, the set that brought me to Bazooka! Fest in the first place: Elf Power. I don’t have as many pictures as I would’ve liked due to my fading energy (at this point I had been at the Meadows for 8 hours) and the dark lighting, but rest assured they did not disappoint.
