The Hop Shoppe was bustling with people coming to hear some great music, have some great drinks, eat some good food, and hang out with friends in the theme of Halloween! A bunch of people were dressed up in costumes for the costume contest and the lighting in the back where the bands were playing was really cool. It made everyone look like shadows.
Bad Answer
In true Em Casey fashion I showed up late to the show and missed Bad Answer's set :((( Definitely follow them on Instagram though to support them!!!
Arckist - Website
As I walked into the bar Arckist was just about to start their performance. I got myself a drink and I went to the back of the space where the stage was set up. The Hop Shoppe has the coolest lighting out of all the venues on SI. They had different colors, lazers, and spotlights. It's always great to see a female fronted band in local music. Their drummer and bassist both dressed up as skeletons for the Halloween theme. Their lead has such a strong powerful voice, it was really refreshing to hear. A very talented band who seemed like they were having a lot a fun! They just released their new single Saturn, so check it out on their website.
Campaigner - Linktr.ee
Dressed appropriately for the spooky occasion, Campaigner had a super eccentric performance with lots of friends in the crowd. Steven Mackoul, the vocalist, was dressed up as Cowboy from The Warriors. Ryan Langan, the lead guitarist was dressed up as David Byre (singer of the Talking Heads) in his big suit, Matt Foronjy (filling in for their bassist) wore a creepy mask, and Carlos the drummer said he was going to be Doodle Bob but, according to Steven, "he abandoned that." I really enjoyed their vibe and the stories Steven told.
The audience called for an encore and they played one more song! It was slower and a really nice way to wind down their set.
The Parallel Lines - WithKoji
As the last band to go on, they finished out the night with some classic TPL bops and signature punk sound. They played their latest release Banana and you should check it out!
Amidst the fun I still had a question on my mind. What even is a Hootananny??? Turns out it has two definitions. In Appalachia they use the word to refer to something you forgot the name of just like thingamajig and whatchamacallit. But in Scottish slang it's another word for a celebration, which this definitely was!
Thank you to (as Steven from Campaigner put it) Jeff "the living legend" Enrgage for organizing the show! Follow him on Instagram
And follow the Hop Shoppe!
Photos and article by Em Casey
Follow Staten Island Locals
Comments