One of NYC’s best live bands Titus Andronicus performed a powerful, intimate show at Shea Stadium BK Monday night. Announced only last Wednesday via the band‘s web site, attendance was capped well below the small venue‘s capacity. The first hundred fans who paid $14 directly to Titus Andronicus (no third-party ticketing web site was involved) in the short time before it sold out gained entry to the event plus a coupon redeemable for two seven-inch Titus recordings (single package) distributed to attendees as they exited.
Titus Andronicus front man Patrick Stickles created the fan-friendly parameters of the evening to celebrate the band’s devotion to putting music out on 7-inch vinyl. The date was 7-7-14 after all. Included in its endeavor to honor the 7-inch, the band plans to release a total of seven 7-inch records starting with the two given to fans Monday night.
Stickles cautioned attendees in advance that the special evening would not be a full-length gig – rather it was a trip down the buffet line of seven-inch songs. He said he would leave time at the end to mingle with the special fans who got in. Turns out this was even better than a regular Titus A show. It was plenty long. About two hours. Stickles prefaced nearly every song with a story about the tune’s history – or a relevant anecdote. Fans sung along loudly to most of the numbers and danced up a storm despite sweltering heat in the room.
In a Big City was great. I thought Date Tonight sounded excellent.
The new band Wicked Kind opened. It was their first ever gig. Two Titus A members – Eric Harm and Julian Veronese – swapped positions and instruments halfway through the set. The drummer was Lost Boy? front man Davey Jones. I thought Wicked Kind was great.
Bud cans from the Shea fridge were $3. Adam Reich wore a Mets bucket cap before removing it late in the Titus set. Reich runs Shea which just celebrated five years in existence. Reich also plays guitar in Titus A. He is to be commended for overseeing such an important space for artists – one in which young music fans are made to feel comfortable.
Stickles shook hands and accepted words of gratitude as fans departed Shea late Monday night. His planning and execution of the event were both exceptional. And memorable.