On an overcast, breezy Thursday evening at South Street Seaport, Amyl and the Sniffers brought their Cartoon Darkness world tour onto the glorious rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City on May 15th. With the best backdrop of any NYC outdoor venue, the stage was set for a rollicking night of punk-infused rock and roll. The young, stylish, sold-out crowd was sporting approximately 21 tiny bikini tops, 74 mullet haircuts, and eight different Idles shirts as anticipation ran high.
Opening the show was Philadelphia’s Sheer Mag, who burst onto the stage with the Judas Priest-influenced “Steel Sharpens Steel,” kicking off their short set with some 80’s ’80s-influenced metal. “Playing Favorites Tonight” brought more melodic rock to the stage while the rumbling drums and bass kicked off “Eat It and Beat It,” showcasing a scorching solo, serving as a set highlight. The disco pop rock of “Need To Feel Your Love” was a major shift in sound but fit lead singer Christina Halladay’s vocals perfectly, while set closer “Do Me A Favor” got back to the glam rocking sounds.
After a short break, the Australian pub/punk rocking headliners came out to the slamming “Control,” which found Dec Martens pulling out his first screaming guitar solo on an evening that would feature a host of them. The bass of Gus Romer and the drums of Bryce Wilson propelled “Security” forward, as Romer also growled out backing vocals with menace. The group was incredibly tight, delivering their hard-rocking style with precision and party power.
Lead singer Amy Taylor was a whirling dervish on stage all night, blasting “human skid mark Donald Trump” before “Doing In My Head,” which featured a fist-pumping singalong from the crowd. The grooving “Chewing Gum” was one of the most expansive songs of the set as Taylor head banged, danced, and got on all fours on the stage before flexing and posing as the crowd surfing swelled over barriers.
Taylor channeled a punk rock version of Tina Turner for “Guided By Angels,” while “Knifey” was a slow build that exploded. “Me and the Girls” was a good time throwdown with hints of the hometown Beastie Boys flowing through it while “Facts” was heavy as hell. “Jerkin’” got the crowd pogoing while “Tiny Bikini” had the biggest singalong of the night before “U Should Not Be Doing That” kicked up the dust with another ripping solo from Martens.
The encore featured a galloping version of “Big Dreams” and a show-closing “GFY,” as the band proved they could blow it out and still had some songs in reserve by skipping excellent tunes like “Motorbike Song” and “Maggots.” Hopefully, Amyl and the Sniffers will return to the Big Apple soon to keep the party rolling.
