Saturday night at Asbury Lanes saw reunions from two beloved punk / power pop bands from the mid to late aughties. Brooklyn's The Besties and New Jersey's own Full of Fancy got the bands back together for one, final (?) time and played what ended up being a party full of sing-alongs and joyful dancing.
Before the big reunions, there were sets from Brick Mower and Mikey Erg. Brick Mower did about thirty minutes heavy on songs from this year's excellent Teenage Graceland. Mikey Erg did a high-energy solo set that saw him bouncing across the Asbury Lanes' stage -- the audience singing along -- any time he wasn't stationed at the mic under the venue's brightest and hottest light.
After, reportedly, just "one practice in five years," The Besties took the stage, shook off the rust, and went right back to charming the crowd. Dual vocalists / keyboard players Kelly Waldrop and Marisa Bergquist flanked guitarist Rikki Walsh, while drummer Frank Korn added some heft to the band's brand of twee punk. Full of Fancy's Miranda Taylor and Erin Hays joined the band on stage for a final dance and sing-along to close the set and, maybe, the book on The Besties.
Full of Fancy capped the evening -- a trio this time as guitarist Brian Gorsenger had a case of strep throat. They played a set that included favorites like "Stone's Throw," "Hot Tub," "Trophy," and "30 Days." The band did a cover of "Rockaway Beach" and extended a reciprocal invitation to Besties Kelly and Marisa to close things out with a cover of "We Got The Beat." After hearing the final note, the crowd begged for more; but drummer Evan Kiel announced that the band had played everything they knew. "Play '30 Days' again!" But Erin just laughed and waved goodbye.
Below are some highlights from the evening. There are full sets up at Flickr.
Miranda Taylor returns to Asbury Lanes this Friday as one of her current bands, Black Wine, is on the bill with Diarrhea Planet, Music Band, and Gods. See you there.
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