Stereophonics’ Electric Headlining Set at Brooklyn Paramount
Since the early 1990s, Stereophonics have continued to evolve in their sound, and within the band. Their latest studio album, Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait, is releasing April 25th. Beginning in late March, Stereophonics embarked on a five month world tour. Their stop this evening was a seemingly sold out Brooklyn Paramount Theater. Moments before the band took the stage, people in the audience were all looking up, taking in the details of the grand architecture of the historic theater. The gilded and ornate details are highlighted in blue and orange lights.
Photo via Tori McGraw (@afterr.hourrs)
Moments later, the entire theater lights go completely dark. A low hum echoes within the walls of the venue as the band walks on the dimly backlit stage. Immediately, cheers rose from the audience and became even louder as the lights flashed on and collectively, Stereophonics opened the set with “C’est La Vie.” As soon as the first notes rang out, the sound filled the entire theater, the kick drum and bass reverberating through the floor.
“Brooklyn, how are you doing?” lead singer Kelly Jones asks during the first pause between songs. “It’s great to be back, thanks for coming. Being in America’s first movie theater built for sound is pretty fucking amazing,” Jones reflects out to the audience. “Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry. It’s an honor to be standing here on this stage in this room, so thank you for sharing that with us. Have a nice day,” he finishes. The band instantaneously kicks into the opening of “Have A Nice Day,” as the audience laughs.
Throughout their set, the band played music from their expansive discography, including “Superman,” “Maybe Tomorrow,” and “There’s Always Gonna To Be Something,” one of the singles released off their forthcoming album. At a few points during their set, the band rearranged to continue to hold the audience's attention and provide new sound and unreleased music. Jones sits at a piano wrapped in small LED lights with a microphone hanging over the keys. He sat and played a few songs here, including one unreleased song in which he shared a personal anecdote about the inspiration behind it. “Okay so, this song is about when things get quite tough. And, you’re stuck in a bit of a rut. I think of someplace nice,” Jones explains. “For me, it’s a memory I’ve got from Christmas morning, my first bike. I rode through the streets to my grandmother's house where the streets were covered in snow, the snow crunching under the wheels. And when it's snowing it feels pure and innocent…This song is called ‘A Boy On A Bike.’” Then, towards the end of the set, Jones sat on a small stool right in the middle of the deep stage, right in the spotlight. He brought out a ukulele, gifted to him by his late band member, Stuart Cable, and he played a few songs in his honor.
Photo via Tori McGraw (@afterr.hourrs)
As the evening came to a close, the six-piece band closed their set with “Dakota,” the band's most streamed song across all platforms, accumulating nearly 260 million streams on Spotify alone. Only a few shows into their tour, and with many more months of shows to come, the band already played an exceptionally solid set. With decades of discography, practice, and live performances under their belt, it is evident why people are drawn to the band and their music, providing an electric live set. It seems like they can only keep getting stronger from here.
Find Stereophonics on Spotify, Instagram, and their website. Find upcoming tour dates here.
All photos via Tori McGraw (@afterr.hourrs)
