DC natives Witch Coast teamed up with Bless and Joy Buttons on October 23 for their album release show at Songbyrd Music House & Record Café in Adams Morgan. Their latest album, Burnt Out by 3PM was released on cassette, a true throwback, making everyone reach for their tape players or wonder what that is at all.
Witch Coast is a part of Babe City Records, an independent record label run out of ‘Babe City’—their house, recording studio, rehearsal space and DIY basement venue all in one. 2015 has been a big year for Babe City and their seven artists/bands, with more show being scheduled all the time on the East Coast. That’s why I was so happy to catch last Friday’s show in Songbyrd’s recently opened basement. The venue was very conducive to an intimate viewing experience and was a great fit for the bands themselves. The turn out was good too; they certainly have a loyal following, yet it was small enough so that they could still interact with the crowd.
Unfortunately, I missed Joy Buttons’ set, but heard good things and everyone was pretty amped up in their wake. Next up was Bless. Most of the band members seemed to be friends with the people in attendance, so it was a cool setting in which there was a lot of familiarity and informal interactions. They sounded really good and matched Witch Coast’s lo-fi slacker rock sound. Witch Coast then closed out the night. They were very high energy and fun, though it was hard to make out any of the lyrics. Their tracks on Burnt Out by 3PM promise to be just as well received as those from their first album, Witch Coast for President. The members, Jon, Jordan and Kevin had a lot of chemistry on stage and it was apparent that they were really passionate about their music and their craft. The crowd reciprocated, getting a little rowdy towards the front, but generally having a swell time. Overall, it was a Friday night well spent at a promising new DC venue. And if you’d like to see Witch Coast in the near future, next up they’ve got Shea Stadium on November 7.
Protip: McDonald’s is next door to Songbyrd, so you can grab a dollar fry in between sets.
Photo from Michael Andrade, andradexcobain.com
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