New York’s X Ambassadors, hot off the release of their first album VHS, were booked to open for German duo, Milky Chance at Summerstage in Central Park. They are a quickly growing favorite that I had heard of because they are local. Milky Chance on the other hand, I hadn’t heard of but was curious to check out because they had sold out Summerstage and tickets were commanding 3x times face value at one point. Their music is described as folk with a dash of international flavor, including reggae, and electronic mixed in. The show review over at Pancakes and Whiskey, included a vivid description of their music, “Milky Chance’s sound hit the air like dye on cotton, bleeding together instantly and branching out endlessly.” But, I didn’t quite latch on to what they were creating. Maybe I’m a little too old for tye-dye as my mind was not as accepting of their music. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would thought I would have given the interesting combination of music.
X Ambassadors however were a bit more fun and lively on stage as they kicked things off on the warm summer evening. Sam Harris, the lead singer, led his brother, keyboardist Casey Harris, onto the stage as the other members, Noah Feldshuh and Adam Levin, followed up. Sam and Casey were a wild dancing pair though Casey was a bit more limited by his instrument, while Sam could roam the stage (or grab his saxophone). The band’s current single, “Renegades” is a catchy, alternative blend with its uplifting, “living like renegades” lyric. Sam and co wrapped up their set with this song and “Jungle”, a grittier number. X Ambassadors continue to play bigger and bigger venues, so it is best to listen to em now. If you like what you hear, catch them soon as they’ll move on from smaller stages soon.
The Summerstage 30th Anniversary Season is well under way but there are lots of great shows to come. A couple of upcoming events include Rakim at Marcus Garvey Park on August 11th and their Charlie Parker Jazz Festival shows from August 21st to 23rd.
