October 31st, All Hallows Eve, Halloween — there are many names for what many people agree is the best night of the year. Trick or treaters took to the streets of downtown Brooklyn and as the sun set, a line of costumed creatures began to form outside of Brooklyn Paramount. Hometown favorites, Misterwives, were returning to New York to showcase their Just For One Night tour, but with a spooky twist. The Halloween show — Just For One Nightmare — kicked off with indie pop groups Moody Joody and joan, before the party was truly to begin.
Gracing the stage first was Moody Joody. Donning alien and astronaut costumes, the band played a short but sweet set to mark the tone for the evening. The vibes were high as fans began pouring into the venue throughout their set — in particular, a group of ghoulish ghosts in the crowd were big fans of Moody Joody, dancing effervescently the entire time. Moody Joody performed both their bigger hits like “Velvet Connection” as well as some new material from their forthcoming EP to be released on November 8th.
Up next were joan, the indie pop due from Little Rock, Arkansas. joan is made up of [officer] Alan Benjamin Thomas on vocals and guitar and [prisoner] Steven Rutherford on vocals, drums and bass. Opening their set with “loner”, joan kept the energy high with their infectious pop beats. The band played a lengthy set that included older favorites like “tokyo” and “ease your mind”, as well as some newer songs like “heartbodymindsoul” and “superglue”.
Around 9pm, the time had finally come for the spooktacular show to truly begin. The stage was set — gravestones lined the stage and the mic stands and lighting rig at the back of the stage were covered in cobwebs with lanterns hanging from them. Halloween music filled the venue before going pitch black and silent. Misterwives stormed onto the stage and immediately ripped into “Organized Chaos” off their most recent release Nosebleeds. Dressed as different cast members of The Nightmare Before Christmas, it was very clear that Misterwives understood the assignment. Lead vocalist, Mandy Leed — giving her best Sally impersonation, was jumping across the stage giving every ounce of energy she had throughout the entire set.
Misterwives continuously make their mark, known for their infectious and high energy performance and their Halloween show was no different. In fact, it was hands down the best Misterwives show I have been to over the last 10 years. The band played a complete and diverse 21 song setlist chock full of all the fan favorites including “Vultures”, “Superbloom”, “Reflections” and even a cover of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own”. By the end of the night, the energy hadn’t wavered one bit and a short break was much needed before returning to the stage to dive into their final two songs of the night “the end / Vagabond” and the classic Misterwives hit “Our Own House”.
Misterwives’ “Just For One Nightmare” performance was truly unforgettable and one of the best Halloween’s that I’ve experienced in quite some time. Not only did the band come fully committed to the Halloween assignment with amazing costumes, but they brought their infectious energy that has been a staple of who they are. It has been a true pleasure to watch these guys grow and blossom into who they are over the last decade.
