New York City yearns for the warmth. Last Thursday, the Bowery Ballroom was taken over with a sea tattered T-shirts, shorts that went past the knees, and men sporting flip flops, despite the risk they pose in a thrashing general admission pit. Bleach-dyed hair poked out of vintage surfer hats, notes of sea salt and beachy cologne filled the air, and many a Kona Big Wave was being ordered at the bar. Winyah is for the spiritual surfer dude that lives within us all, even as we brave a New York “spring” that’s still quite too cold to earn the name.
I watched the crowd engage with one another as Winyah’s opener Edgehill began to light up the stage. An older man standing by himself with a beer in hand, up near the front of the packed-out room no less, turned to his right to observe several 20-something guys jostling each other and sending ripples of movement through the crowd. From where I stood, I could hear a father and his daughter near me exchanging remarks about the band – she told him something about the band, he told her who they reminded him of. Chris Kelly, Edgehill lead singer, dropped to his knees at the edge of the stage. Fans were already pressed up against the platform, elbows resting on the same ground the performers jumped across – venues without photo pits are dangerously intimate in this way. Kelly lifted his hands from his guitar to allow two girls to reach out and thrash their fingers across the strings, igniting the room in cacophonous, electrifying noise.
They say energy can’t be created or destroyed, but then Winyah took the stage. I’m fairly certain some fans were airborne more than they were on the ground for the entirety of the show. The room was a sea of bouncing hands and flat-brimmed hats. There was a certain pocket of people up near the front of the crowd, but not exactly right against the stage, that served as a metronome for everyone else in their surroundings. They jumped a little higher and screamed a little louder, and the rest of the venue followed suit. From the very front to the very back, it was clear that not many people showed up as a casual fan, ready to sing along to a single chorus. Everyone knew the hell out of those lyrics.
Opening with arguably their most popular song, ‘Feel It All Again,’ the band immediately had everyone in the palm of their hands. Fronted by a guitar trio comprised of lead singer Thomas Rowland, and bass & rhythm guitarists Luke Gordon and Stephen Russell, the band took up every inch of space on the stage. The boys took turns moving towards the edge of the platform, dangling their guitars directly above the outstretched hands of fans below, sending surge after surge of excitement through the crowd. I moved about the venue to grab shots from every distance, and no matter where I found myself, I felt the same energy.
There are many indie-rock boy bands in the same sphere as Winyah – listening to their music, some may even come right to mind. However, upon seeing them live, I could tell what sets them apart. There’s no put-on nonchalance. They care about their music and their fans, and they aren’t afraid to show it. By the end of the night, Thomas Rowland was drenched in sweat. In almost every photo, his face is contorted with effort, veins pulsing and cheeks flushed, as he gave the fans everything he had. In between songs, he profusely thanked the crowd for being there, and promised them new music on the way soon. There’s a shared love between the band and their fans, and the venue helped to exemplify that further. On stage, they never felt disconnected or untouchable. The lack of a photo pit meant they were quite literally within reach, dancing at the very edge of the stage, just inches from the front row. But beyond the physical proximity, they felt authentically human. The band and the crowd fed each other with their passion all night, and it was a joy to be able to watch!
Winyah are continuing their run on the road throughout the summer and into the fall, and their set is an experience well worth catching. Though we recommend seeing it for yourself in person, you can relive the night through our full gallery of photos HERE.