Messed!Up
Ever since I started listening to music as a very young boy in Sweden at the beginning of the 80s, some of the best bands I’ve discovered turned up when and where I least expected it. Some of my favorite bands I’ve discovered when they supported a headliner, others by going to festivals and just walk around among the stages to see if something sounds good enough, but most bands I’ve encountered just by being at the venue for other reasons than going out for a gig. That’s how I discovered Been Stellar earlier this year when I attended a conference (yes, I have a day job) in New York and me and some colleagues were off for a few beers in the evening and sneaked in at a bar in East Village when Been Stellar suddenly popped up on stage. Four months later and we got a request by their German booking agency to support the band’s tour in Germany when they were about to come over for their first European headliner tour. ‘Hell yeah!’ was our answer.
Been Stellar’s debut album, Scream From New York, NY, was released earlier this year, in June, and the title encapsulates the defining characteristic of the band’s ethos: angsty, punk-adjacent music created from and for their collective home of New York City. And the fact that frontman Sam Slocum looks a bit like a young Daniel Johns, the frontman of one of my favorite 90s bands, Silverchair, tells us it was going to be a great night.
Molotow Skybar is filled to the brim and that means it’s hot from the start. In fact, it’s hot enough standing still watching tonight’s show and just moving a bit makes the sweat start pouring down the back.
The audience was buzzing and as soon as the lights went down, cheers of anticipation erupted from the crowd. Been Stellar stepped on stage, entrancing concertgoers with the grungy opening riff of the album title song “Scream From New York, NY”. The title track’s catchy drumbeat blended well into the breathy, melodic lead vocals while smoke drifted across the stage, mirroring the performance’s airy vibe and pairing well with the band’s dreamy shoegaze sound. When they launched into their second song, “Passing Judgment” – a fan favorite – the crowd at Molotow couldn’t resist moving and swaying to the rhythm. Following up with tracks like “Manhattan Youth” and “Pumpkin,” the band reached a high point with “All In One,” whose haunting backing vocals added depth to the performance.
The gritty blend of post-punk guitars and pulsating rhythms echoed through the Skybar, drawing the audience into the band’s raw energy. Sam Slocum commanded the stage, his fierce vocals cutting through the noise as he threw himself into the performance, head flinging, mic waving, capturing the disillusionment of youth. At times, it resonates strongly with the crowd, many of whom were bopping along to the frenetic tempo.
The setlist leaned heavily on tracks from Scream From New York, NY, with live renditions of songs like “I Have The Answer” and “Pumpkin” amplified by thick layers of distortion and pounding drumbeats. Each track stood out with driving rhythms and jagged guitar lines, perfectly suited to the venue’s raw ambiance, and the momentum stayed high throughout their set. The band kept things brash, thrilling, and, at moments, like when each member was dancing erratically, insane in the best way.
It’s clear Been Stellar is on track to revive the effortless cool of NYC’s iconic guitar sound from two decades ago. If they come through your city, make it a priority, you don’t want to miss it.
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Photographer: Niko Schmuck
