Fans mirror Buck Meek’s smile during New York City show with Kisser
Written by Yukthi
NEW YORK — On July 15th at the iconic Bowery Ballroom in the heart of The Big Apple, indie folk rock musician Buck Meek enamored fans with a celebration of his latest album release, The Mirror. Supporting his act was Kisser, an indie alt rock group fronted by Germaine Dunes.
The Wednesday night simmered with tension as Kisser stepped onto the stage. Opening with an unreleased tune, Wonderboy, the band did not hesitate to get the ball rolling with commanding guitar riffs and vocals. Adam Brisbin on guitar let the music consume him as he swayed with the sounds. The crowd followed suit, creating an intimate connection, especially with those standing up against the stage and singing along.
Some songs from Kisser’s setlist included heavier rock tunes, like the unreleased Quiet Power, and others were softer and more introspective, like Ghostgirl, a track on their self-titled EP released just a week before the show. Indie artist Liz Meier sang with the band in this emotional number. Her soft voice complemented the raspiness in Dunes’ voice, adding to the fullness of the performance.
During an interlude, Dunes played a solo guitar melody, with other guitars chiming in and drummer Jesse Quebbeman-Turley adding in a powerful roll to build up the sound. Dunes was all smiles, and it was evident she was actively listening to every note being played. Meek, who is also Dunes’ husband, picked guitar steadily, and Luke Temple’s bass playing kept the show driving and full of character. Kisser ended their set with another EP song, Bad Boy Mountain, with kicking harmonies and heavy percussion.
Changing from a flowy button-down to a classic “I ♥️ NY” t-shirt, Meek shifted out of his Kisser persona to front his headlining set, joined by Brisbin, Quebbeman-Turley, and Steven Van Betten on bass. The crowd cheered at his re-entrance, which was defined by Gasoline, the opening tune of The Mirror. The love song featured rolling drums and guitar with Meek’s sweet voice. It had a similar kind of flutter found in work by Big Thief, an indie alternative folk band that houses Meek as well.
Pretty Flowers showcased an airy beat driven by the drums and muted guitar, and Demon solicited the fans to join in belting, “La la la,” at the end of the track. About halfway through the show, he and the band played a cover of Certainty by Big Thief, exciting the room with this addition to the setlist. During Ring of Fire’s bridge, the audience shouted with Meek, “Music is in my soul, rock and roll is in my blood,” encapsulating the atmosphere Meek fostered that night.
Soul Feeling started with Meek thanking the crowd for the singing and dancing, a set of discordant strums, Meek saying, “My bad,” and some laughter from the whole room. The tune had fans head banging along to the rock beat and guitar riffs that seemed to have ended the night.
However, Meek came back to what was the empty stage for the encore, which featured a beautiful acoustic performance of Halo Light. The bittersweet melody began with just Meek, and Brisbin soon joined to add to the whimsical sound. Fittingly, the full band came back for the finale of Kiss My Mirror, an unrecorded track written by Meek and fellow members of Big Thief. It was a proper homage to the show that played songs from his album The Mirror.
One might assume that a show with such overlap of talent might have been a background experience, but each set took center stage and brought about an intimate platter of emotions to which anyone in the room could connect. Meek and Dunes put together an incredible event with striking instrumentals and resonant vocals that celebrated the indie folk scene in New York City.
