Nights NYC Festival Recap

By: Bailey Blake

This past weekend, Nights NYC presented by Runaway New York, a micro festival highlighting artists in Brooklyn took place – and it was beyond special.  Featuring artists such as Laundry Day and Quarters of Change, and three more up and coming artists such as Chad Nelson, Carlo Redl, and Tyler Miller, the festival drew in a laid back crowd of music lovers. Whether it be the ambience of the Industry City courtyard, or the five artists who got up on stage and showed us everything they had to offer, Nights NYC was something unforgettable for everyone that attended.  

Here’s a look at some of the sets from the one day festival:

Chad Nelson

The night kicked off with rapper Chad Nelson, who from the start, caught everybody's attention.  With the style and flow of J Cole, Nelson delivered some head-nodding tunes to draw people in.  For his song  “On The Clock” from his album “Trials” Chad brought his friend Carlo Redl on stage to play soul lifting melodies from his guitar while Chad passionately rapped about his depression and how music has become his therapist.  He takes a break from his flow while Redl plays softly in the background to talk about how he went through some hard times that kept him from making music.  He positively turns the conversation around, asking the crowd if they were ready to hear some good music, asking all to scream “Hell yeah!”  Nelson’s engagement with the crowd was lively.  When performing his song “Now You Know” he asked the crowd to help him out and shout “now you know!” on queue, which everyone did effortlessly.  Towards the end of his set he brought Redl back onstage, but this time he left the guitar behind and picked up the microphone to perform their Bryson Tiller-esque song “Picture Perfect.”  Nelson’s flow was smooth alongside Redl’s soulful R&B vocals.  Nelson’s performance was a flawless start to the night, setting the perfect Saturday night tone.  Make sure to check out his album “Trials” and follow him on Instagram @realchadnelson. 

Carlo Redl

It was exciting to see Redl get back on stage for his own set.  He brought us something a little different from what we saw with Nelson, opening up with a bluesy tune, his voice raspy and deep, truly showing us his range as a musician and performer.  He spent the majority of his time shredding his guitar – stunning everyone with how effortlessly he played, seemingly drawing inspiration from greats like B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaugn. 

After, he goes back to the smooth R&B vibe we got with Nelson, giving us the absolute best  chill sound for the night.  Towards the end of the set he brings on Katerina Lomis to sing a cover of Mac Miller and Ariana Grande’s duet “My Favorite Part”.  Redl amazed us all that night and left us wanting so much more from him.  You can keep up with him on Instagram @carlo.redl. 

Photo: Bailey Blake

Tyler Miller

New Yorker, Tyler Miller, brought us some more tunes for the night.  Coming on stage with his sunglasses on, he grabbed the mic and sang passionately.  His sound was more in the likes of R&B pop such as Alec Benjamin.  Judging by the loud screams and cheers, there was a large cohort that really showed their support, but at the same time, the audience reaction was clearly mixed.  The contrast with the cheers of support were noticeable signs of the audience being distracted by their own conversations. On balance though, he was pretty good.  Showed plenty of potential with his on stage presence  – showing the kind of confidence that is needed to be a great performer.  Carlo Redl got back on stage one last time to perform alongside him, giving us the same melodic soul from his guitar we learned to love that night.  Tyler will be releasing an album this year, and I am looking forward to hearing what else he has to offer.  You can follow him on Instagram @Ty1ermiller.  

Photo: Bailey Blake

Quarters of Change 

Quarters of Change put on one hell of a show when opening for Laundry Day at Irving Plaza back in April, and the same goes for the Friday night before at their headlining show at Bowery Ballroom, so it was expected of them to do the same tonight – and they did not disappoint.  They were a lot more laid back than they usually are at their shows.  You can expect to see the members of the New York band dressed up in snazzy attire, but tonight they were a lot more casual, wearing t- shirts and jeans.  During powerhouse songs like “T- Love”, you would also expect to see lead singer Ben Roter forcibly headbanging while swiftly moving across the stage, truly exciting us with his stage presence, but tonight he was a lot more tamed, staying mostly by the mic while providing us with powerful vocals. Quarters of Change truly knows how to feel the vibe of the room and still put on an amazing rock and roll show.  Their new album “Into the Rift” will be out on July 29th so be sure to check it out.  You can keep up with them on Instagram @quartersofchange.  

Photo: Camilla Ffrench

Laundry Day

Headlining band, Laundry Day, made everybody’s night as always.  Opening up with a cover of Rihanna’s “Kiss It Better” was a great start to their set, getting themselves and everybody in the crowd warmed up for what was next to come.  Immediately after, they teed up their song “Little Bird” off of their most recent album “We Switched Bodies,” an incredibly fun and exciting song that makes you want to get up and jump.  Their strangely addicting song “Worry ‘Bout Yourself'' was next on the setlist, which kept the energy high, making us all just want to dance, including one of the bands singers, Jude Ciulla, who broke into a cool choppy dance midway through the song; all of his movements on beat.  Next, the band performed their catchy song “Connect 5,” continuing the vibrancy of their set; which led to their smashingly groovy song “Blübe” – where the band brought their friend Skivon Hardy on stage to dance and sing along with them.  Halfway through their set, they went back in time to play their song “Sunny Boy’s Lament'' from their 2018 album Keep It Bright.  The song was a perfect transition, keeping the funky groove going, and making the crowd go crazy. After playing “Did You Sleep Last Night?” and “And Either Way It Goes” they go way back to their 2018 EP Light Up Shoes where guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist Sawyer Nunes stepped up to sing their slow and soulful song “Lavender” – making the crowd lose their mind from his crisp vocals.  The band then stuns us, turning the energy back up with an unreleased song titled “Bye Butterfly”– showing off their alternative rock side, along with a little side project song called “Mary Jane” that can be heard on YouTube.  Then they performed their fan favorite song “Bulldog” – exciting the crowd with the energy and astounding lyrics.  The highlight of the show came next with their ballad “Jane'' sung beautifully by Nunes.  Halfway through the song, they swiftly transition to one of Amy Winehouse's best songs, “Valerie”.  The crowd became much louder as they all sang along.  It was an unforgettable moment, something that was truly magical, showcasing Laundry Day’s true starpower.  The band hopped back on stage after stepping off for a couple of minutes – Ciulla spoke into the mic saying “We forgot a couple songs.”  before performing a series of fan favorites such as “Red Roses”, “Harvard”, and of course, “Friends” – where Ciulla brought his best friend Jai on stage to dance and sing along with them.  Despite “Friends” being their staple, the band could not resist performing one last song,“We Switched Bodies,” where they welcomed all of their friends and family on stage with them to sing and dance.  The crowd sang along to the easy lyrics “We switched bodies, I was you and you were me!” as they all watched the Laundry Day family close out on a wonderful Saturday night in Brooklyn that will stick with everyone for a very long time.  Make sure to keep up with Laundry Day on Instagram @daundrylay.