New York post-punk outfit Bodega made a triumphant return to the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, opening the UK leg of their Brand On The Run tour to a packed and energetic crowd. With their third album, Our Brand Could Be Yr Life, released to critical acclaim earlier this year, the band wasted no time reminding everyone why they’re such a force on the scene.
The night began with a solid warm-up from fellow New Yorkers GIFT, before an hypnotic, AI-tinged voice played over the speakers, bringing a futuristic vibe to the venue. This served as a spoken word introduction to Bodega’s set, the voice familiar to fans of Our Brand Could Be Yr Life. It filled the room, before the band took to the stage and launched straight into their set.
Vocalist and guitarist Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio on keys and percussion, joined by band mates Dan Ryan on guitars, Adam See on bass, and Adam Shumski on drums, powered through their songs with the same high-energy, art-punk aesthetic that has come to define their sound. Though there was little interaction between songs for the first 40 minutes of the set, Belfiglio did take a moment to check in with the crowd at this point, asking, “Are you guys alive?”
The response was immediate and enthusiastic, especially when new tracks like ‘Myrtle Parade’ and ‘Tarkovski’ took the spotlight as standout moments of the night. These songs demonstrated the band’s knack for blending sharp, observational lyrics with tight, danceable grooves. The former of these two tracks has just been released as a single ahead of their forthcoming Brand On The Run compilation, which drops on November 1st.
There was a light-hearted moment when the band pulled an audience member named Keith onto the stage to play tambourine in honour of his birthday – though some in the crowd around me mistook his age for 40 initially, until he took to the stage and it was clear that he was, in fact, 14. This spontaneous interaction added a playful element to an otherwise intense performance, leading the crowd to chant his name as he left the stage.
As the clock ticked towards the venue’s 9:30 pm curfew, Bodega made it clear they wouldn’t be playing the encore game this time around. After briefly disappearing from the stage, they returned almost immediately for one last song, managing to squeeze in another short number before wrapping up the set with just one minute to spare. The night didn’t end there, however, as the band led fans to an afterparty at another Nottingham venue, The Bodega – coincidentally with the same name as the band – for a DJ set that carried on until the early hours.
The band’s effortless energy and passion were on full display throughout the night, making this a memorable gig for Nottingham’s post-punk faithful. Their unique blend of art, music, and social commentary continues to evolve, and their live performance at Rescue Rooms only solidified their reputation as one of the most exciting acts in the New York underground scene.
Photos: Gemma Cockrell
