Holdin’ guitars, havin’ fun, bein’ cute.

Almost a full year ago, Senior Staff Writer and Video Editor Anna Hotter ventured to Williamsburg to see NYU-Columbia duo Jack + Eliza in concert. In light of it being the almost-anniversary of Anna’s post about this event, Bwogger Lila Etter headed to The Knitting Factory on Friday night to check out the band for herself.

As a first-year, I’m all too aware of my own naiveté. So when I was told about an upcoming concert in Brooklyn, I felt embarrassed that I didn’t recognize the band. It turns out, Jack + Eliza, NYU ’17 and CC ’17, respectively, are celebrated across both campi, and apparently it was only a matter of time until I’d find out about them. I was eager to jump at the chance to cover the concert for Bwog, as I would be checking three items (Brooklyn, The Knitting Factory, and my first concert of the school year) off my bucket list in only one night.

After taking the 1, to the 2, to the L, and subsequently walking four more blocks to Metropolitan Ave, we arrived at the venue with enough time to see the opener: The Britanys. In short, they did not disappoint. Between songs, my friends and I debated over which band they sounded most like. One vote was for Drowners, and although I could see the resemblance between the band’s guitarist and heartthrob Matt Hitt, I remained unconvinced. Someone else suggested CAKE, and it was easy to see why: Songs like “Are You Gonna Do It Right?” are sure to remind some of CAKE’s well-loved “Short Skirt / Long Jacket.” Still, I’m sticking to my guns; while listening to The Britanys, I was most reminded of old Arctic Monkeys songs. You know the ones. Back when Alex Turner was still crooning about lost loves, before he walked around with a leather jacket draped casually over his shoulder. That’s the Arctic Monkeys I sometimes miss, and the era that The Britanys made me nostalgic for. So yes, their lyrics included a few references to manic-pixie-dream-girl-esque figures, and yes, they drank cheap beer on stage and made terrible jokes. But the overall effect was one of watching cute city boys (wink, wink) have a blast with each other, almost entirely forgetting their own surroundings. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the guitarist had a Barnard “B” temp tattoo on his forearm, a quirk that only made me like them more.

In between sets, I finally got to take a look around. The people watching was almost as good as the music, partly because the age range was much larger than one might expect. It was a mix of typical Brooklyn hipsters and underage college kids (like myself), but with some middle-aged cool parents sprinkled throughout. “Gray hair, don’t care” seemed to be the motto of the night. The venue itself was everything I’d expected The Knitting Factory to be: very grunge, very Williamsburg, with chipped paint, minimal lighting, and gender-neutral bathrooms. The bathroom walls were almost as decorated with graffiti as those of the Hungarian Pastry Shop. And by the time I’d finished reading the writing on the stall, Jack + Eliza were about to come out.

Likable as heck.

Eliza’s outfit was on point (denim on denim), while Jack came out wearing a Yankees cap. Despite the Boston blood coursing through my veins, I was immediately able to see what all the fuss is about. The minute they came onto the stage, Jack + Eliza brought an air of happiness and lightheartedness with them. You could feel the mood of the room change; as the lights went dim, people’s faces got brighter. Corny? Yes. But after opening with “Secrets,” it was clear that the duo themselves are not ones to abstain from corniness. Their second song, entitled “Backward Shirts,” feels like a more synthesized version of Sondre Lerche’s “Modern Nature,” arguably one of the corniest, cheesiest, most heartwarming songs out there.

The warm and fuzzy feelings elicited by their music were mirrored by their onstage presence. With very little banter between songs, the set was instead tied together by the smiles the pair exchanged. They created an atmosphere of intimacy for the entire crowd, and watching the two onstage felt like being let in on one of their inside jokes: a rare privilege. They closed the set with notably less happy-go-lucky tracks, concluding with “Oh No” and lyrics like, “Do you want to try anymore?” Despite the element of lamentation in some of their tracks, Jack + Eliza made their audience visibly happier over the course of two hours. Their evident enthusiasm for the music, combined with their obvious talent, left me in awe and undeniably enchanted.

TLDR: Their album came out on vinyl yesterday. You should buy it.

QTs via Eargasmusic, Predictably Shitty Concert Pic via Bwog Staff