McLovins brought their best to American Beauty NYC last Saturday, performing their annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party for their adopted hometown of NYC. The New York venue was the ideal setting for the annual affair, as the band could rock out with style at the hipster-y locale.
Those coming in search of festive trappings were not disappointed. Even amid a sea of ugly sweaters, McLovins were in a class of their own. Keyboardist Atticus Kelly wore a garment that featured a polar bear in an ugly sweater whose vomit lit up with tiny lights, perhaps presaging what was to come at the after party. Guitarist Justin Berger wore a morose messiah, alone on his birthday surrounded by empty bottles. They killed the sweater game, end of story.
Following sublime local openers Common Jack, The band kicked off the apropos “American Heartache”, slated to be on their forthcoming album release. The night’s selections ran the gamut from funky get-downs (“Buildin’ it Up”, “Man In a Blue Coat”) and jams like “Brickbone” and “Gold In The World” (each clocking in at over 10 minutes) to short, pop influenced numbers, some even with choreography by the band. These songs are the best representation of the band’s growth as songwriters, and there was no better place to showcase it than their favorite place to play, New York City.
Stay tuned for the new album, slated for mid 2017. You can see the band’s setlist and a photo gallery from Capacity Images, below.
Setlist: McLovins | American Beauty | New York, NY | 12/17/16
American Heartache, Buildin’ It Up, Thick Of It, No Limit, Anxious, H.T.L., Man In A Blue Coat , Ringo , Talk About It , Greenhouse, Regulars, Brickbone, Festive Interlude: In The Black Midwinter , We Go Wild, All Is All , Gold In The World, Don’t Do It
