January in New York City can feature some of the coldest nights of the year. That was until the Los Angeles native band The Record Company took over The Bowery Ballroom on Friday, February 1, 2024. The music brought fans from the tri-state area to New York City for some old-fashioned blues and southern rock vibes as the band is currently on tour to support their newest record, “The 4th Album.”
The Bowery Ballroom is just blocks away from the famous CBGB OMFUG (“Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers”) that closed down in 2006 but yet The Bowery Ballroom almost feels the same. The stage towers in front of the audience and fans are jam-packed like a can of sardines, or a sausage in between the bun of a New York dirty water hot dog. But no matter what band is on stage, the fans are mesmerized by the act in front of them. The Record Company’s crowd featured many different people from all walks of life. From corporate businessmen just getting off work or college kids spending their last dollars on a ticket to this sold-out show. The crowd, regardless of how young or old all were able to have a good time. Fans on the side balconies danced the night away while overlooking the main general admission standing-room-only section.
Before The Record Company graced the stage, Jesse Ahern jumped up with guitar on hand to greet the New York faithful. Ahern, who is the opening act, is a one-man show. With guitar in hand and harmonica strapped around his neck. Ahern trucked through a powerful 40-minute set. Ahern, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, can only be described as the Blue Collar Middle-Class Bob Dylan. With an anchor tattoo situated underneath his eye and an eagle tattoo on his neck, he sang about unfairness, protest, and most importantly, what he believed in. Ahern took over a rather sad and chilly crowd and was able to win them over before The Record Company took the stage.
Jesse Ahern is:
Jesse Ahern – Vocals/Guitar/Harmonica
As the house lights dimmed and the clock struck 9:00 p.m. and the trio known as The Record Company jumped on stage. The band is comprised of lead singer and guitarist Chris Vos, bassist Alex Stiff and drummer Marc Cazorla. Despite the band only being made of three men, the wall of sound they created sounded like Metallica was standing there right in front of you.
Throughout the night as the band played through their 17-song set, each band member had a different energy and stage presence which complimented the other two band members. As the night rolled on, Vos jumped and slammed around on stage to the cheers and hollers of the sold-out ballroom crowd. The band has such a unique sound that can only be described as a hard rock version of ZZ Top infused with Muddy Waters blues rock. With Stiff’s chunky bass riffs, Cazorla drums and Vos’ snarling vocals, it creates that perfect sound that makes concertgoers feel as if they were transported to a rock and roll bar in the south.
The band was able to feed off the entire crowd’s energy the entire night long. Since the Bowery Ballroom is one of New York City’s most intimate venues, the excitement was through the roof. Throughout the entire set, the band was smiling and kicking their music into another gear as Vos, multiple times kept repeating the name “New York City!” with a giant grin on his face.
Whether the band was playing a small acoustic set, playing a cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” or one of the fan favorites, “Rita Mae Young,” the aurora in the room felt like rock and roll was on a steady incline as The Record Company was one of those groups that is helping lead the resurgence of rock and roll. As the band joined together for one final bow before heading off to the next city, the room rained thunderous applause and praise for this blues rock band.
After witnessing The Record Company’s fantastic show, while filing out onto Bowery Street with the rest of the concertgoers, it is very safe to say that with great and talented bands like The Record Company, rock and roll will most definitely never die.
The Record Company is:
Chris Vos – Vocals/Guitar
Alex Stiff – Bass
Marc Cazorla – Drums
Setlist:
1. Patterns
2. Hard Day Coming Down
3. Feels So Good
4. Rita Mae Young
5. Easy Wind (Grateful Dead cover)
6. On the Move
7. Talk to Me
8. I Found Heaven (In My Darkest Days)
9. In the Mood for You
10. Highway Lady
11. Gotta Be Movin’
12. Don’t Let Me Get Lonely
13. Turn Me Loose
14. Life to Fix
15. Off the Ground
16. I’m Getting Better (And I’m Feeling It Right Now)
17. Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker cover)
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Follow Jesse Ahern Online:
My love for covering music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to see 55 concerts and capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and always looking for the next concert to attend.
