Co-founded by three New York music industry vets and longtime friends, Lorimer Beacon‘s founder and head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events and Lola Live’s Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival over the course of the past couple of years have featured a couple hundred handpicked, emerging indie bands and artists from the US, Canada, the UK, the European Union, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. By design, the festival normally takes place just before SXSW: the festival’s co-founders view the festival as a pre-SXSW stopover that will give its emerging acts an opportunity to organically gain exposure – while filling a critical void in the festival circuit.
Because of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions and lockdowns, New Colossus couldn’t occur as scheduled. But over the past couple of months, the trio behind New Colossus festival and the folks at 18th Ward Brewing have hosted a live, outdoor concert series featuring local and regional acts at their Bushwick location.
Earlier this month, I caught Phantom Wave, Too Close to Vomit, Illicit Ghost, and Looms play indoors because of inclement weather. Unfortunately, I missed the first set, which did happen outside — because I managed to miss a bus. Thanks, MTA! Photos below.
Phantom Wave
Too Close To Vomit
Illicit Ghost
Looms
