Raia Was, Iris Lune and Courtnee Roze – A Musical Revolution in Brooklyn!

Raia Was / photo by Ray Fontaine

On September 24, 2016, National Sawdust hosted Revolution Volume 7, a musical series focused on displaying the best of independent pop culture in Brooklyn. The audience can view performances either at ground level, eye to eye with the artists, or from an overlooking balcony and the stage is bathed in white light, exposing all of the beautiful geometric patterns carved into National Sawdust’s walls.

To open the night, Raia Was brought an ethereal and inquisitive synth performance, featuring the lead singer mixing sounds between soulful ballad lyrics. The band played with falsetto harmonies and emotional melodies. Raia displayed a clear gospel influence and set the mood for the night’s genre fusion experience.

Iris Lune / photo by Ray Fontaine

Courtnee Roze the Musical / photo by Ray Fontaine

Iris Lune opened their set with the eerie and powerful “Moon”. Lead singer Ella Joy Meir alternated from gentle falsettos to gut wrenching tenor melodies. The synth-heavy quartet’s performance was theatrical, infusing folky melodies with four different keyboards and hard hitting percussion to accompany the band’s romantic and haunting lyrics. They closed with “Son”, raising the intensity by building from a quiet start to a dramatic finish. The audience quietly swayed with thoughtful expressions, staring at the eclectic mix of band members as they convulsed to the rhythm.

To finish the night, a rousing performance of Courtnee Roze the Musical, brought Conga drums and electric instruments to the stage, hinting at the dancing to come. A voice started singing over the instruments, although Courtnee Roze was nowhere in sight. Finally, the firecracker of a woman burst onto stage singing “New Era of Rock.” The afro-funky punk filled National Sawdust with dancing fever with songs like “Music Over Love” verging on the disco era. Truly a delight to watch, Courtnee Roze called out for the audience to sing along, simultaneously playing the Conga drum, while pulling a dancing audience member onto the stage for a dance-off. Head over to BRIC House on October 27, 2016 for the next performance, which will also live stream on BRIC TV’s B-Side.