SPACE BACON: FROM BASEMENTS TO THE BALLROOM
Photos by Billy Murray
This life presents special moments that come and go like shooting stars. They’re hard to fully grasp but glorious to witness. The headlines of the outside world briefly vanish and all the pieces of the puzzle line up. The time. The place. The people. It can’t be forced. Everything comes together naturally. All the gears engage as a well-oiled machine that is virtually impossible to ignore. This past Saturday was exactly that. Space Bacon returned to New York City for the first time in two years. It was a celebration. From Bronx basements to The Bowery Ballroom. No smoke and mirrors, just one band’s honest pursuit to evolve and carve out what they deserve.
Current events have proven that nothing is indefinitely set in stone. Plan for the best and prepare for the worst. So when the crowd started to (and continued to) pour through the doors as the night rolled on, it was proof that the tide has begun to turn. Space Bacon, along with Escaper and Microcave, packed out The Bowery Ballroom for their biggest NYC show yet. By the time they hit the stage, the crowd was hungry for Bacon. And they got exactly what they paid for.
To put it simply, the band came to fucking play. Armed with a setlist that encapsulated their range of sonic capabilities, it was time to show and prove. Opening with Parachute was a statement that showed off their songwriting skills. It’s catchy without sacrificing lyrical depth. They exited the composition with a vicious Biggie Smalls jam that flipped the room on its head. The crowd applauded as they glided into Division. Stylistically, the ethereal bounce that they’re able to tap into with this song always stands out. This time was no different.
Their Donkey Kong cover was bananas and cracked coconuts from start to finish. People were going apeshit. Not only did it feature patient theme building, keyboardist Chris Gironda and guitarist Jack Willard linked up for a silky Mad World tease that has been an ear worm for many all week. Bassist Kevin Legall and drummer Sam Crespo had the rhythm locked down like the secret service. Crespo was the MVP of the night. He was behind the kit for three monster sets. The savage attacked the stage with the ruthlessness of a coked out Lawrence Taylor in 1986. It was an impressive feat to witness as Bacon’s jams can be intense and unforgiving.
The streets of New York City were dark as blistering winds sprinted across avenues. So what took place in Ice Planet was fitting. Chris’ decisive synth work solidified everything. It was digitized mayhem on the fly. The buildup into the peak was volcanic. Jack executed the switch from the MIDI to the PRS perfectly and the room erupted. It was the exclamation point at the end of an extremely well-executed opening segment.
They invited a special guest to the stage to close out the set. Uncle Vin joined them to add some sax to Bumpadump in true New York fashion. The avant-garde take on the song was refreshing and unique. The last time I saw him play with Bacon was at The Acoustic in Bridgeport, CT. It was a treat. Once they got to the jam, Vin laid down that atmospheric sauce. At points, it was reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s Us and Them. FOH engineer Alfred Rylands threw a little reverb on the sax to make it extra drippy. It echoed through the Ballroom with soulful force.
Second set was heavy from the start. The band busted out Obsidian for the one and only David Barney. He’s supported the band from the beginning. Custom Smiles, owned and operated by him and his partner Kristie, has done a lot of merchandising for Space Bacon. They jammed into Rosandra’s Tide before dropping into Flamethrower. DMX’s debut album was notably titled It’s Dark and Hell is Hot – I saw somebody describe the Flamethrower as, “It’s digital and dark as hell.” It sounded like The Terminator joined forces with machine elves to wage trench warfare on the minds of muggles. I looked around and saw fear in the eyes of many. That’s when you know it’s good.
Bacon closed the second set with Hollow Man > Vectorman > Hollow Man. When they landed in Vectorman, Chris and Jack locked into a few themes that were especially deep, exchanging harmonious melodies that were captivating and cerebral. They let it rip before dropping back into Hollow Man which was another heavily electronic assault on the crowd. For a lot of people, it was the first time seeing Space Bacon since Jack incorporated the MIDI setup. It provoked a lot of visceral reactions and fit perfectly with the ethos of NYC’s underground. They tied a bow on the night with Chimera and set the crowd loose into depths of the night.
Borough to borough, year after year, Space Bacon cut their teeth in this city. People said, “New York City is dead. It’s never coming back.” The truth is that New York will never die and this past Saturday was a prime example of that. It was a victory across the board for everyone involved. When asked about the moment, keyboardist Chris Gironda said, “It was like a big family reunion, definitely a “we’re back” moment after nearly two years of uncertainty in live music. Felt like diving into a never ending bowl of penne ala vodka.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
