review: PearlPalooza Sends Summer 2024 Off In Style
Photos by Elissa Ebersold
“Driving down the highway as the morning sun played peek-a-boo with some wispy clouds on this late-September Saturday morning, there was only one question on the horizon: who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned block party?”
Food trucks, local vendors peddling their wares and, of course, live music with plenty of dancing right there in the downtown streets; there can be no better way to spend the last day of an urban summer.
This year’s PearlPalooza was another great swansong for the season, hosted by WEQX (celebrating forty years this year!) in collaboration with Downtown Albany BID and several iconic North Pearl Street institutions like The Hollow Bar & Kitchen. Boasting a well-rounded and highly-anticipated lineup of local and nationally touring performers, the buzz was immediately palpable as YogaPalooza kicked things off bright and early for an impressive morning crowd. If you’ve never seen a sea of bodies flat on their back preparing to take over a typically busy city street for a yoga session, it’s truly a sight to see, and with temperatures still comfortably cool under somewhat overcast skies, this was a great way to get started with enthusiasm in motion – a meditative workout flush with good vibes.
As the workout wound down, the last hoorah of summer sun began to break through the canopy of clouds overhead and the temperature began to heat up, which was appropriate because The Sugar Hold were preparing to turn up the heat on everyone who showed up for the opening set of the day. They emerged in matching black and white striped button-up shirts and maroon bomber jackets with black trim, although they were forced to shed the jackets before the set as the last echoes of summer rays beat down directly on the stage. Bringing their signature surf-punk sound, there’s a case to be made that there wasn’t a better choice to get the party started on the last day of summer as the band dove right into a beach bash that felt right at home in the heat of the early afternoon. It was clear very quickly that this was the perfect band to immediately get the people dancing, with infectious energy that demands you stop what you’re doing and get your groove on right where you stand to fun songs about cheeseburgers, buying weed (from a person, not a store!), and old beat-up cars with a relatability that makes it easy to put down whatever’s on your mind and just cut loose for a while. This, mixed with their trademark sense of humor and the irresistible allure of their surf-punk tunes, truly set the tone for the rest of the day.
Coming up next was another local favorite, Albany’s own Laveda. Bringing a dynamic mix of alternative and indie rock vibes, they displayed some delightfully chaotic stage energy with excellent presence and true powerhouse vocals. Taking the baton from The Sugar Hold and running with it, that chaotic energy was matched by an equally chaotic angst present in several of their songs. Angst is far from the only feeling they radiated during their set, as their ability to get moody cycled through the entire emotional spectrum with upbeat and low key jams that have the ambition to become explosive in the right spots; they were able to flip the switch from chaotic unease to atmospheric dreaminess effortlessly. There were also several new songs in the set, and it was revealed that the band are currently preparing to make a new record in the coming weeks.
Next up were The Ramona Flowers, our first touring band of the day and the only international artists on the bill. Coming all the way from Bristol, England, and boasting a strong and charismatic stage presence behind clean and powerful vocals, they engaged the crowd with catchy songs that were easy to move and groove to. The chorus of one such song implored the audience to “get up and dance”, and they enthusiastically obliged; there was a contagious element of funk in what was definitely a set that embodied the epitome of dance rock. Their music would be right at home at any rave, and they turned the street into the biggest disco in the Capital Region.
Switching gears from dance hall rock to California cool, Jakobs Castle from Long Beach, CA was next. Fronted by Jakob Nowell, the son of Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell, there was a strong Sublime influence present in the set with their logo appearing alongside the band’s own and some iconic tunes such as “Badfish” included among the setlist. This was no run of the mill covers set, though, as Jakob is a rising star and accomplished songwriter in his own right. He brought his very own style to that west coast feel complete with relaxed fashion: a tee shirt, shorts, and mid calf socks with no shoes which helped establish a laid back vibe that made him incredibly easy to get behind as a front man. He’s a very friendly and relatable performer, with themes about enjoying life and keeping your loved ones close making you feel like you’re a guest at his reggae-rock house party.
By the time Robert DeLong took the stage for his headlining set, the crowd on
North Pearl Street had swelled to the point that there were people wall to wall for the entire first block of the event, buzzing with anticipation for him to make his return to PearlPalooza, which he last performed at in 2012 ahead of the release of his debut album, Just Movement. His return comes off the heels of a new record, PLAYLIST of DOOM. DeLong immediately set to work mesmerizing the audience with his unique brand of alternative electronic music, combining danceable and catchy grooves with captivating instrumental innovation. His multi-instrumental talents were on full display with a rig of gear that was akin to a musical utility belt including a video game controller, live drums and percussion, and an electric guitar set up on a stand, preset at the perfect height so he could walk over and start playing at any time. His vocals were pure pop catchiness with singalong hooks flowing over grooves you had to dance to, utilizing several different microphones for voice modulation effects as well. For his last song, he even went into the crowd for some added fun and treated the passionate fans with a raucous encore before inviting everyone to hang out at the merch table and attend his post-show DJ set at Ophelia’s on Broadway later in the night.
After the set, some of the crowd remained to interact with DeLong and the other artists who were manning the merch tent throughout the day. They took their last walk around the impromptu street market that had taken over this strip of the city for a day, and perhaps even went home with some vinyl records or original art. With another fantastic event in the rearview and already looking forward to next September (September 20th, 2025 to be exact), it’s safe to say that WEQX and downtown Albany sent Summer 2024 out with the biggest bang possible.
