Love Thursdays
June 1 and 8
6 pm
Love Park
Nouveau Riche describes its style as "post-genre sound," which may take you a grain of salt to swallow. Luckily, their musical talent, whatever genre it is, goes down much more smoothly. The indie rock hip-hop quintet opened "Love Thursdays" at the JFK Plaza last week - a space more commonly known as the Love Park - and did so with exactly the kind of broad appeal demanded by their diverse audience. "Love Thursdays" looks to be an extension of the city-wide effort to attract the young and hip demographic (that's us), and those at Philadelphia Weekly planned it well. Holding the free event at the Love Park showcases an appealingly scenic part of the city: the wall surrounding the central fountain provided informal seating for the audience as it trickled in gradually, and the stage is framed by the wide boulevard leading to the Art Museum, which gives the setting a vaguely Parisian feeling.
Although the show was supposed to start at 6, the band didn't take the stage until 7. Luckily, the families, businessmen, hipsters, students, couples, and friends of the band who showed up didn't seem to mind the delay, and filled the time by snacking, chatting, and watching a four year-old boy who could moonwalk better than anyone I'd ever seen. The DJ filled the downtime with Aretha Franklin, Jay-Z, and the Roots, prophesizing the eclectic brand of music that Nouveau Riche would perform when they did arrive, immediately launching into an impressive set. Vocalists Nikki Jean and "Dice" both have strong voices that complement each other well. Nikki's melodic questions are answered by Dice's sharp rapping, and the drummer and guitarists Khari, John John, and Alex provide the perfect beat to balance the dialogue. The band manages to channel inspirations like the Roots while still maintaining their own unique style. Together they have a lot of chemistry, allowing them to be confident on stage even in the face of a diffuse and somewhat subdued audience.
While lacking the closeness and focus of a typical concert venue, Love Thursdays nevertheless offers a good opportunity to see up-and-coming bands for free in an appealing outdoor setting. The two remaining concerts of the series, Xande Cruz and the Batukis Band on June 1st or The Swims/Future Tips on June 8th, could be a cheap start to an evening that ends at one of the BYOBs or bars in the surrounding neighborhood. Or, if you steal cups from 7-11 beforehand, you can turn the concert itself into a BYOB, and what's not to love about a Thursday like that?
