Wednesday night, NYC’s Webster Hall was rocked by the extraterrestrial rock wizard, Ty Segall. With seven solo albums at age 27, and playing live shows like his life depended on it, Ty Segall is the true epitome of a 21st century rock star. 

The night opened with a performance from WAND, a group that has been performing with Ty Segall for the better part of the tour. Although they put on a great set with a high energy level onstage, the crowd could not help but wait silently and patiently for Ty. Even Derek Janzen of WAND agreed, “Ty is our god…”

After WAND closed their set with “Paradise is Here”, the stage was taken by Ty’s self proclaimed “band manager”, Johnny Longhorn. He took the pleasure of announcing the band onto the stage. Ty was joined by Mikal Cronin on bass, Emily Rose Epstien on drums, and Charlie Moonheart on guitar. 

The energy picked up immediately, as if everyone had just been holding it in through the opening act. In fact, people were so hyped that the barricades separating the stage from the crowd were being bashed in. After only a few songs, in an empathetic move towards both the security guards and the crowd, Ty Segall asked for the barricades to be removed – “we’ve never done this before.”

An open surf ensued. At no point was a body not being strewn through the air. People were climbing onto the stage like punk-hungry animals and diving off into a sea of moshers and rockers. Even Ty joined the crowd surf during his guitar solo on the track “The Faker,” fighting off fans reaching for his guitar neck. Even Jimmy Longhorn made a spectacle by transportating himself via crowdsurf from the top of the stage, to the back of the venue, and back to the front, while the band rocked on. Dominating the crowd with hits like “Girlfriend,” and “I Bought My Eyes,” Ty and his band did not disappoint. This is a definite must-see show for any lover of rock music. 

Great crowd, remarkable band, phenomenal high-energy show.Â