The Muckers:
Sultan Room Brooklyn Album Release Show
Words: Nicholas Howard
November 2 2021
The fervent feeling was definitely mutual in the elegant, packed, dimly lit space on the border of Bushwick and East Williamsburg. The Sultan Room seemed like the ideal setting for the return of one of New York City’s most stirring acts, the Muckers.
Frontman Emir Mohseni’s energy was profound coming into a show that caps off a grim era for the world at large, and most especially for live music. The crowd in general seemed to be among the group’s most ardent followers, and both the band and the audience were beyond excited to be back in venues. For some, the right medicine for a rough time is undeniably a good head bop and a mosh pit, and this pack was enthralled to be doing just that.
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Mohseni seemed to roll with the punches, at one point being pulled off stage still wielding his guitar, continuing to play while crowd-surfing.
“They grabbed my feet and took me out in the crowd, and the feeling was amazing, and I could still play so it was really fun… On stage it was really hectic. There was a lot of sound and excitement so I was a little deaf at that time, and I hit my guitar, but everything was fine… So it was like my first time doing, like, a crowd surf while playing my guitar.”
The band, rounded out by Chris Cawley on guitar, Anthony Azarmgin on bass, and John Zimmerman on drums, jumped right back in after getting the sound fixed and the band did not miss a step the rest of the show. Overall, the energy in the pit was abundant and it was an extraordinary feeling to be back and surrounded by people seeing a show.
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The Muckers sounded tight, and their brand of loud, catchy, rambunctious rock fit the pent-up mood of the night. Songs off the new album like “Suspended” and “Roll the Dice” really jump and bend throughout their set, with bouncy, high-energy riffs and effortless vocals. Songs off their first EP, 2018’s It’s Better Without You were also shuffled into the pleasure of fans who sang along the best they could remember how. Overall, the band has a vigor in its stage presence that comes off neither as trying too hard nor being too serious. They seemed to be having fun playing their music, and really feeding off their crowd’s energy. I’ve seen the Muckers before, and this time around it was great to hear their updated setlist and celebrate the beginning of reopening and tours that are sure to be crowding venues this fall!
The Muckers have been a mainstay in the city’s rock scene for the last couple of years, playing shows in support of some really fantastic bands (Pond, Broncho, Mystery Lights) and also headlining for their own enthusiastic fans for four years. With new restrictions being lifted, they’re off on the road to play dates in Europe, where their new record is garnering international attention and sales.
Listen to the Muckers here︎︎︎
Mohseni seemed to roll with the punches, at one point being pulled off stage still wielding his guitar, continuing to play while crowd-surfing.
“They grabbed my feet and took me out in the crowd, and the feeling was amazing, and I could still play so it was really fun… On stage it was really hectic. There was a lot of sound and excitement so I was a little deaf at that time, and I hit my guitar, but everything was fine… So it was like my first time doing, like, a crowd surf while playing my guitar.”
The band, rounded out by Chris Cawley on guitar, Anthony Azarmgin on bass, and John Zimmerman on drums, jumped right back in after getting the sound fixed and the band did not miss a step the rest of the show. Overall, the energy in the pit was abundant and it was an extraordinary feeling to be back and surrounded by people seeing a show.
The Muckers sounded tight, and their brand of loud, catchy, rambunctious rock fit the pent-up mood of the night. Songs off the new album like “Suspended” and “Roll the Dice” really jump and bend throughout their set, with bouncy, high-energy riffs and effortless vocals. Songs off their first EP, 2018’s It’s Better Without You were also shuffled into the pleasure of fans who sang along the best they could remember how. Overall, the band has a vigor in its stage presence that comes off neither as trying too hard nor being too serious. They seemed to be having fun playing their music, and really feeding off their crowd’s energy. I’ve seen the Muckers before, and this time around it was great to hear their updated setlist and celebrate the beginning of reopening and tours that are sure to be crowding venues this fall!
The Muckers have been a mainstay in the city’s rock scene for the last couple of years, playing shows in support of some really fantastic bands (Pond, Broncho, Mystery Lights) and also headlining for their own enthusiastic fans for four years. With new restrictions being lifted, they’re off on the road to play dates in Europe, where their new record is garnering international attention and sales.
Listen to the Muckers here︎︎︎