Pitchfork Presents @ Knockdown Center - Maspeth, NY
August 21st 2022: Pitchfork Presents ft. Big Freedia, Dawn Richard, Billy Woods, Soul Glo, Jane Remover, Mega Bog, Water From Your Eyes, and Katie Alice Greer @ Knockdown Center - Maspeth, NY
Photos and Coverage Courtesy of Edwina Hay
On Sunday, August 21, 2022, the first Pitchfork Presents concert took place at Knockdown Center in Maspeth, NY. The stellar bill featured acts from a wide range of genres performing on indoor and outdoor stages and concluded with two performers from New Orleans, LA: Dawn Richard and Big Freedia.
The show began indoors with Katie Alice Greer (formerly of the Washington, DC punk band Priests), who was accompanied by Forest Juziuk performing songs from her June solo record, Barbarism. This was Greer’s first time performing live on the east coast in three years. Water From Your Eyes was up next on the outdoor stage and performed as a trio. Jared Ashdown also played guitar with Nate Amos and Rachel Brown. Mega Bog was backed by Zack Burba (iji), Aaron Othiem on keys, and Greg Fox (GDFX) on drums.
Jane Remover were up next on the outdoor stage and at one point, their DJ used a GameCube controller, which I can say I have never seen during a live set before. Soul Glo performed my favorite songs from their newest album Diaspora Problems (their debut for Epitaph Records), “Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?)” and “Driponomics” and, predictably, a mosh pit broke out up front during their set.
Rapper billy woods was backed by DJ Mo Niklz and remarked that he spent seven hours in a car to return home to NYC for this show. woods performed songs from his new record with Preservation, Aethiopes, along with older material. At one point he joked that the audience at the outdoor stage was for Big Freedia so he would get out of the way soon. He was later joined by his Armand Hammer partner, ELUCID, for a couple of songs.
Dawn Richard was the last performance on the indoor stage and most of the songs she performed came from her Second Line album that was released in 2021. Her set seemed to be an abbreviated version of the Electro Revival show she did at BAM earlier this year and was wonderful again.
Big Freedia closed out the show, accompanied by a group of dancers and a DJ, by beginning with her recent single “Big Diva Energy” and moving on to older material such as “Explode” (which has the lyric “release your wiggle” that was featured by Beyoncé on her latest single, “Break My Soul”). Freedia also performed her remix of “Judas” by Lady Gaga and brought people from the audience on stage for “Azz Everywhere.” Speaking of Beyoncé, Freedia did her part from “Formation” before launching into her song “Play” which features Goldiie. Before Freedia closed her set, a sing-along to “Break My Soul” plus dancing to other songs ended the fantastic show before the 11 PM curfew.
Big Freedia
Dawn Richard
Billy Woods
Soul Glo
Jane Remover
Mega Bog
Water From Your Eyes
Katie Alice Greer
