Fell in love by the ocean? More like the Hudson River. That’s exactly what I did when I took to the streets of my favorite area in New York City one Thursday night to see one of my favorite bands, Coasts, play at the Bowery Ballroom on Bowery and Delancey. After a day of beautiful weather, vintage shopping, and plenty of grilled cheese, it was a perfect night for a concert; the anticipation and good vibes were flowing before Zella Day, the opener, stepped foot on stage. I first heard of Arizona-born belle Zella Day by looking through the ‘Free on iTunes’ section (which if you don’t do often you’re really missing out). Her hit tune Hypnotic was offered and I immediately picked it up after hearing the quick sample, which I do with most free songs, but there was something different about this one -  I actually listened to it after downloading it--often. Although I had some knowledge of her style, seeing her live made me do a double take on this girl’s talent. Needless to say, I went on iTunes and preordered her album before she even finished her set.

The Arizona sun basically radiated through her music and stage performance. Kicking off her set with The Outlaw Josey Whales, a song that glorified her amazing vocal range, immediately the crowd got a taste of how wispy and fresh her voice was. Next, she played  Milk and Honey, and new song Ace of Hearts, which, along with the rest of the songs on her set, are going to be featured on her debut album Kicker, available early June. She quickly got a feel for the crowd as she dedicated her third song, 1965, a love song, “to Coasts, from the teenagers in the front row.” However, these kids weren’t the only ones waving their hands and singing -  the whole crowd was pumped. The following songs, Sweet Ophelia and East of Eden, were smashes too with her dewy Lana Del Rey-esque voice, booming bass, and sunshine-and-dandelion lyrics. Then she got a little crowd assistance, hopping off the stage and coming to  hang out in the pit for a stripped down version of Compass, a song about being closer to her, when the crowd was literally inches from her - it was adorable. She followed with Jameson, Jerome, and Earmilk, and she decided to pick up the guitar  to play a little, which added to the cool atmosphere. She decided to mix it up a  bit and not play her single Hypnotic last, but instead promote her newest release High. Seriously, Zella’s talent radiated through every chord and every note of her performance and this is definitely not the last time I’ll be seeing her show. You can pick up Kicker on iTunes and Amazon June 2nd, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for when you can see this flower is hitting the road again.

It’s ALWAYS a pleasure to see Coasts. They are honestly a great group of guys with some striking talent, rockin’ songs, and cool vibes. They opened with Wallow, a fan-favorite for it’s bumping beat and hard guitar, and brought the anticipation in the room to a boiling point with its slow intro. The set followed with Coasts classics like Your Soul, Let Go, and Golden City about “leaving you heart in London,” all of which are available on their Paradise, Coasts, and Oceans EPs. Next, their most recent single Modern Love had the whole room screaming the lyrics, and night owls on the street were probably wondering what was going on inside and why they didn’t have a ticket. The show rolled along with Lions, Tonight, Wash Away, and Stone, which I definitely blew out my vocal chords singing (or screaming) along to. One of the main things I noticed compared to their last tour when I saw them open for indie-rock band Bad Suns in mid-February was their confidence. Chris, the boys, and the crowd completely blew the roof off the place, and the smile on their faces was an incredible sight to see. The guys spent time after the show going through a massive line of fans, taking pictures and interacting with most people in the downstairs bar; all my Polaroid film were gone in a blink. With a finished album in hiding for now, keep your eyes peeled on all platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for an album release date and tour dates (*cough cough* Fall 2015).This was easily one of the best shows I’ve ever been to and I can’t wait to spend some more time with these guys this coming fall in the UK!

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