MOVEMENTS / TURNOVER / QUEEN OF JEANS – EMPIRE LIVE
By Mia Palazzo
September 09, 2024 – Movements brings their fall 2024 USA/Canada tour to Empire Live in Albany, New York for a fun night of alternative rock and indie jams. This tour featured Virginia based rock band Turnover, as well as Philadelphia based indie stars Queen of Jeans.
Queen of Jeans, a band Movements expressed as one of their favorites, has been jamming indie hits since 2016. This band was on par for an indie jam band, with their smooth harmonies, emotional depth and soft but powerful vocals. What set Queen of Jeans apart from any band I’ve seen in this genre, is their unique use of retro pop, a style that quickly seemed to capture the attention of the audience.
The night began with “All My Friends”, though it is a newer song, off of their 2024 album All Again. The song gives off a nostalgic presence, supported by an infectious melody. Vocalist Miriam Devora came out strong, displaying her powerful vocals and instantly creating a captivating aura in the audience. This moved into “Horny Hangover,” the second track on All Again, then to “Karaoke”, another track off this album which featured an enticing banjo riff from bassist Andrew Nitz.
After a short introduction to themselves the band shifted to a slower-burning ballad, “Let Me Forget,” though it is not one of their top songs by numbers, this song had the most crowd engagement in their set by far, with many members of the audience singing along to the mesmerizing harmonies and somber lyrics. This was the song that started to pick up the night, as it got the crowd excited with the power in Devora’s striking voice.
The set carried on with a few more songs, many of which the crowd was able to interact with. Queen of Jeans closed their set with “Bitter Pill”, one of their biggest songs, a slow but emotional aching tune which was the perfect end to the band’s set. This band was the perfect introduction to what was left to come in the night, and definitely gained a good amount of new fans in the process
The next band on the bill, Turnover is no stranger to the Albany scene. Having been around since 2009, the band has played in Albany various times over the years, and have developed a loyal fanbase in the area. As soon as the band took the stage, the venue was bathed in soft, dark lighting, setting a perfect ambiance that the band is very well known for. Though this is not a band I have indulged in yet, it is one I personally can say if you listen to indie rock, you need to get on it because they are bound to make waves in the scene.
Opening their set with “Tears of Change,” the band instantly captured the attention of the audience. With its airy guitar lines and soothing vocal elements, the emotion of the track resonated deeply in the crowd, with many members of the audience singing and jamming to the music. The next song on the set “Super Natural” is one of Turnover’s more popular tracks, and received a very enthusiastic welcome from the first riff, and even starting a small mosh pit.
Midway through the set, “Humming” and “Diazepam” took the energy down a notch, providing moments of somber introspection. These tracks showcased the band’s ability to create a mood of quiet intensity, with their minimalistic yet evocative sound. The slow, sprawling arrangement of “Diazepam” in particular had the audience hanging on to each note, screaming along with vocalist Austin Getz. After a few other of their popular songs, Turnover ended their set with “Take My Head”, a song so upbeat that it provoked the first of many crowd surfers of the night. Overall, Turnover left the audience captivated by the energy and enthusiasm they presented in the passion they have for their music.
Finally, it was time for what the audience was waiting for. As Movements walked onto the stage, the entire crowd erupted into a cheer, and opening with “You’re One Of Us Now”, everyone immediately began singing, moshing and bopping their heads. Not one person in sight was standing still as Movements moved through their first three songs, including “Lead Pipe” and “Fail You”. The perfect songs off of their latest album release Ruckus to set fans up for what was to come.
At this point in the set, Movements stopped to make a deal with the audience. Vocalist Patrick Miranda proposed that they would only promise to play old songs, if the audience kept the energy up through the new songs to come near the end of the set, and of course fans were all for this. As the band played through the next few songs, they had a good combination of old and new music, “Skin to Skin” followed by “Afraid to Die”, the band’s newest single for the deluxe edition of Ruckus, and was much better received than I thought it would be. This song arguably had the most energy out of all of the newer songs in the set.
After various other older, and newer songs Movements stopped before the third to last song “I Hope You Choke!”, taking the opportunity to draw a tattoo for a fan who was holding a sign, later begging her to not actually get it as Patrick does not promote bad decisions, giving the entire audience a laugh before picking up the energy right away from the first riff of “I Hope You Choke!”. This song was followed by “Kept” off of Outgrown Things (2016) another upbeat nostalgic song.
Of course, the setlist wouldn’t be complete without ending with the fan-favorite “Daylily” from Feel Something (2017). This brought a wave of nostalgia, with the crowd singing every word of the uplifting anthem about hope and healing. This song also prompted the most crowd surfers of the night, with Patrick reaching out to hold the hands of each of them as security lifted them over the barricade. The mix of older and newer tracks balanced the night perfectly, reminding fans of the band’s roots while still celebrating their growth, and overall leaving everybody overly satisfied with the show and anticipating the next.
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