Chicago indie rock band, Beach Bunny, played two spectacular shows at Brooklyn Steel the weekend of August 7, 2022. The dates had originally been scheduled for May, but were postponed due to Covid. Initially a solo project by Lili Trifilio, Beach Bunny came into popularity when the song “Prom Queen” went viral on TikTok in 2019. The song has since gained more than a quarter billion streams, and Lili now tours with her four-person band. Ky Voss and Sidney Gish opened for Beach Bunny both nights.
Multi-instrumentalist Ky Voss opened the shows with synth-pop beats, moody lyrics, and a textured industrial sound. Her third full-length record, “The After,” released earlier this year. During her set, Ky mentioned she had lived in New York for a year or so, but this was her first time performing in New York. The crowd basked in her performance, the pristine lighting, and the crisp sound Brooklyn Steel is most known for. She thanked Beach Bunny for having her, and left after an excellent set to wild applause.
Sidney Gish took the stage next, quipping with the crowd as she tuned her guitar and got settled on stage. Her performance was unaccompanied, but she used layers of looping pedals to fill the room with acoustic guitar riffs and drum loops. Sidney’s trademark charm and wit were present at all times. She joked between tracks, thanked Beach Bunny, and praised Ky Voss’s set. She played a number of hits from her catalog, including some tracks off her breakout record, “No Dogs Allowed.” After closing her set, she thanked the audience and left the stage to a burst of applause.
Anticipation rose among the crowd as they waited for the headlining set. The venue was abuzz with energy as the house lights dimmed. Suddenly the stage was backlit by shining beams of blue and white light. After a brief pause, Beach Bunny walked onstage to massive applause. They opened their intense 90-minute set with “Oxygen,” the first single off their latest record, “Emotional Creature,” which was released in July 2022.
After the second track, Lili told the crowd to crouch down and spring up when they started the next track, “Six Weeks.” By the time Beach Bunny finished the third track, the crowd had been worked into a frenzy by drummer Jon Alvarado’s driving beats, guitarist Matt Henkels’s energetic riffs, bassist Anthony Vaccaro’s pumping bass lines, and frontwoman Lili Trifilio’s catchy fan-favorite lyrics. Several times throughout the show, Lili encouraged fans to open up mosh pits, crowdsurf, jump, and dance. At one point, Lili even drew a tattoo on a fan’s homemade sign. She joked, “This is too much pressure!” to laughter and applause.
Beach Bunny’s setlist included a number of hit tracks like “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used),” “Sports,” and their breakout viral singles, “Prom Queen” and “Cloud 9.” Towards the end of the band’s set, Lili told the audience, “I wrote this song about New York,” before playing “Fire Escape.”
They closed out the show by instructing the crowd to separate down the middle, and rush together at the start of their final track, “Painkiller.” The crowd gleefully obliged, and sang along every word as they moshed and jumped until the last notes played. Beach Bunny took their bows, thanked the audience, and walked offstage to one final swell of cheers.
Beach Bunny is slated to play several more shows in the US before heading overseas for their tour. You can listen to their catalog here. Listen to Ky Voss here and Sidney Gish here.
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