Saturday night, April 12th, local rockers LuxDeluxe celebrated the release of their second full-length album, “It’s a Girl,” by playing it in its entirety at the Iron Horse in Northampton. It was energetic, lively, and a damn good time.
Before the show, LuxDeluxe, their friends, family, producers, and managers had a pre-show party at producer Paul McNamara’s house which also serves as the studio of Spirit House, the record label that signed LuxDeluxe.
At the Iron Horse, the band quickly set up and soundchecked their equipment and yielded the stage to opening band Violent Mae, an indie rock duo from Connecticut. With a sound somewhere between the Black Keys and Modest Mouse, Mae made for a smooth transition into Lux’s set.
“They’re one of my favorite bands to watch,” said Danny Bernini, the band’s producer and manager.
LuxDeluxe played a two-part set. Starting with “What You Need,” the first song on “It’s a Girl,” they continued on playing the nine-song record in its entirety. “It’s a fun way to present it,” said Ned King, front man of the band. “We think it’s the way the songs flow the best… it showcases the record as it is.”
Lux’s command of the stage defined the atmosphere at the Iron Horse. “I Can’t Make It,” the fifth song on the album, was widely agreed upon by the band as their favorite to play for their excited fans. The band’s relentless energy reflected on the audience, who sent it right back to the stage.
The members of LuxDeluxe formed the group when they were attending Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School. Frontman Ned King, guitarist Caleb Rosazza, bassist Jacob Rosazza, keyboard player Gabe Bernini, and drummer Jake Edwards make up the band. The oldest member is 23.
“It’s a Girl” is Lux’s second full-length album. A far cry from “Hollow Ground,” their debut, their latest release mixes the musical styles and influences of all of the members in one well put together piece of music. Getting five musicians with different influences to come together and produce a cohesive sound was an immense task, said Paul McNamara, co-founder of Spirit House Records and LuxDeluxe’s producer. “But they did it — beautifully.”
Once the show was over, it was back to McNamara’s house for the after party. Spirits were high and the celebration lasted into the early hours of the morning. Somebody had to finish the keg.
“It’s a Girl,” is available at Turn it Up in Northampton and online at luxdeluxemusic.com and luxdeluxe.bandcamp.com.
