We didn’t have enough pull to send our interns on a sweater shopping spree with Drake while he was in town for Fashion Week, so we promised them the next-best New York experience: CMJ, with badges! While we’re holding it down at the FADER FORT by FIAT, Patrick Lyons, Sam Katz, Kiran Samuel and Parker Bruce will be hitting the streets, wiggling through publicists, bands, college DJs and regular Brooklyn drunks and reporting on the entire festival as it happens. Last night, Parker and Patrick headed to Bushwick and Manhattan's subterranean Cake Shop. They made new friends, hid beers in their bags and identified Hanson references. Follow their night out with Bleached, Gauntlet Hair, Psychic Ills, King Krule, Wise Blood, Dent May, Main Attrakionz, Grimes and more below.
PARKER BRUCE: Smells like Thanksgiving stuffing as I get closer to Shea Stadium. Inside there’s free vodka in tiny cups! So can I sleep here on this couch? Apparently every NY venue must have a disco ball. Shea Stadium’s disco ball looks so sad. The girl in Bleached is owning her denim jacket. One of them (Jennifer) is giving me a chiller Juliette Lewis vibe. Why is no one into this? These gals are roaring like a dragonesses.
PATRICK LYONS: Headed to Cake Shop.
PARKER: Made a CMJ friend on my ATM run. He’s in a band called Flashlights and he knows Gauntlet Hair. We went halfsies on a PBR six-pack and I bought party mix for my dinner. Just talked to Bleached. Nice gals. Jennifer had some of my party mix. Told her it was my dinner and she said there was pizza in the back. Gauntlet Hair’s killing it. Lead singer looks like coolest librarian ever.
PATRICK: I feel like a complete tool with my backpack on. Someone just committed the cardinal sin of Macbook DJing: letting everyone hear the noise the volume buttons make. Noticed that the capacity for this room is 74 people. I have a feeling there’s gonna be way more bodies than that when we’re through here. Psychic Ills look like they got up on the wrong side of their acid trips this morning. This music, though loud, is suited for an opium den.
PARKER: Main Attrakionz may have made a Hanson reference. They are wearing matching Fool's Gold t-shirts. They just said they need a secretary. A dude is up on stage wearing a fedora. Hey Justin Timberlake. He’s covering his face, getting into it. Watching them chill makes me want to drive. I’m really bad at driving. Two accidents.
PATRICK: Cake Shop is like a dungeon. Psychic Ills just finished. My girlfriend is coming to keep me company. It’s chilly and I want actual cake. Is there none here? I don’t see any.
PARKER: Pulled a fresh PBR out of my tote. King Krule time. Look at those crazy cheekbones! He makes me want to wear a baseball hat. His band looks like the cast of This Is England. I want to go to London. Zoo Kid was better name.
PATRICK: Chrome Sparks has sideburns that would make Elvis proud. Playing some shit with pitched-down vox samples, lovin it. I can bounce to this. Girl on my left is yelling, "Ohhhhh shit!” every time the beat drops. Getting out of here for air is like pulling teeth. Hardcore bottlenecking. Wise Blood’s next.
PARKER: Dent May: occasionally Smith Westerns light. Sway with me ballads. He’s super likable. What a champ.
PATRICK: There’s nothing on sale for under four dollars at bars in NYC. Wise Blood! I totally see what Kiran meant about rap-singing. It doesn’t really come across in his recorded music, but I hear it now. People are freaking out. Wise Blood for president! The song that starts with the backwards choir is so badass, it’s like going to church high. I’m beat.
PARKER: I think Little Boots is standing right next to me. Grimes is wearing sparkly silver and black hoodie. Did she bedazzle beforehand? Invited dancers up onstage. Perfect music to hear at 1AM. They’re doing “Vanessa." Dancers are doing moves that could come from Jane Fonda Workout. Brought a hooded guy friend up to do backing vocals. I realize Grimes’ crew is different yet somehow similar to ASAP Rocky’s. Her friend is having fun on the drums. Set ends abruptly. Apparently they didn’t really get to sound check. Soundcheck basically happening during the set. Not the best way to do it.
