Love was in the air last Friday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, or so one would believe listening to Suckers frontman Quinn Walker. Donning effervescent golden slacks and having headwear changes from a green baseball cap to nothing to a glimmering gold headband, Walker repeatedly relayed his messages of love for the fans who came out and for the band’s families that were spread across the balcony. This abundance of affection continued throughout the set as he even teased his fellow bandmates to profess their love as well, which led to comical banter, laughter and some awkward silence. But the love wasn’t flowing in vain, as it was the eccentric foursome's record release party for Wild Smile (stream the new album here) and their unofficial "return to Brooklyn" show.
The night kicked off with the folk-laden acoustic stylings of Cameron Hull, followed by Sean Bones, who played an upbeat set of reggae tinged tunes to a half-filled, motionless room. Class Actress took the stage next with electro-pop ballads that started to warm up the crowd. And while all of the opening acts put on noteworthy sets, it was only with the mention of Suckers that the room suddenly filled and truly began to liven up.
Set up in a line across the stage and sporting brilliant face makeup, Suckers jump-started their set with "Afterthoughts & TV" while multicolored images were projected onto the stage. Giving multiple shout-outs to his parents, acting out each song with animated hand gestures and continuously jumping on the "I fucking love you guys" train, Walker's festive energy was infectious and soon enough had the crowd chanting lyrics back and blissfully dancing. "It Gets Your Body Movin'," the boys' anthemic breakout track, and "Black Sheep," the electric guitar blazing, pop-infused single off Wild Smile, in particular generated a sing and dance-a-long effect that left the crowd buzzing.
After their last song, to the fans' bellowing cheers and claps, the four-piece returned for a spirited encore full of friends who paraded onto the stage and joined the band in playing, singing and dancing. Living up to any expectation one might have had that night, Suckers closed out an extraordinary set just as they had started, full of energy and rapture.
Watch Suckers plays "Loose Change" live at the Music Hall of Williamsburg below.
