NYC Popfest 2014 in pics (Rocketship, Martha, Spook School, Heathers, Spearmint, Dressy Bessy, My Favorite & more)

photos by Aehee Kang Asano; words by Bill Pearis

My Favorite / Martha / Spearmint @ NYC Popfest 2014

The 2014 edition of NYC Popfest happened last weekend with five shows across four days and over 30 bands from around the world. I made it to every show except the Saturday (5/31) afternoon show at Spike Hill and saw a lot of great stuff. Pictures from all four evening shows are in this post. Highlights:

UK band Martha (Cake Shop, 5/29) who traded vocals between three members, played their hearts out and delivered scrappy pop hit after pop hit; a one-off reunion of NYC high-drama act My Favorite (Knitting Factory, 5/30); Spearmint (Cameo, 5/31), playing their first-ever US show and working the crowd like a piece of pastry dough and playing every song I wanted to hear; followed immediatly by a full-band Rocketship (Cameo) who seemed quite together for being apart for many years.

The Spook School @ Littlefield (photo by Bill)

Sunday's show (6/1) at Littlefield was probably the best day, delivering five great sets in a row: Brooklyn's The New Lines, who would've sounded equally at home at Austin Psych Fest; Atlanta's Gold-Bears who fall somewhere between '90s college radio and '90s emo; Los Angeles band Heathers who came out in tight dresses (they were guys), threw lollipops into the crowd and covered The Wedding Present; London band Colour Me Wednesday who were about as classically indiepop as it gets and do it very well; and Glasgow's The Spook School whose set started both a pit and a stage invasion, both Popfest firsts.

Colour Me Wednesday and The Spook School were also both distinguished by very funny drummers. CMW's was more the witty friend who reacts off others, where Spook School's seemed ready with (good) material, pulling down the microphone the second a song ended and consistently kept the crowd in hysterics. Somebody get that guy his own show!

Both The Spook School and Heathers play NYC again tonight (6/6) at Matchless in Greenpoint, with Light Therapy and Lost Gloves on the bill as well. Or, you could go catch Martha at Death by Audio tonight as well, with Delay, Shellshag, and Giant Peach. Either would be a great choice. Seeing that Martha are on the DbA bill early, you could theoretically make it to see all three Popfest leftovers.

More pics from NYC Popfest below...

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Franny & Zooey @ Cake Shop

NYC Popfest 2014