NYC-based indie soul band Melt continued their string of winter shows this past Thursday, February 12, at Assembly in Kingston.
Formed in 2017, the band features core members Veronica Stewart-Frommer on vocals, Marlo Shankweiler on guitar, and Lucas Saur on bass. Later joined by Andrés Valbuena on drums and Ok Kai on keys. The band quickly gained traction in their debut year with the release of their breakout single, “Sour Candy,” which climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Viral 50 chart.
Originally announced as a single performance at Racket NYC in January, the show quickly evolved into what the band calls their “Snow Day” shows. Thursday’s audience fully embraced the theme, with some attendees even arriving in full snowman costumes.
Thursday’s show opened with a set from alternative pop artist Beccs, who performed mostly original material aside from a stellar cover of “Glory Box” by Portishead. At various points throughout the set, she was joined by Puck, who added piano and synth layers. Beccs also had a natural ability to engage the audience, encouraging them to sing and clap along, sometimes without even having to cue them. The opening set proved to be a fitting choice to warm up the eagerly awaiting Melt fans.
Melt took the stage shortly after 9 PM to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome. Their set blended a mix of newer material with plenty of fan favorites. The band even treated the audience to two unreleased songs, which were met with immediate excitement and applause. About halfway through the set, singer Veronica Stewart-Frommer drew attention to her “Melt Ice” hat, announcing that it was available for purchase at the merch table. All the profits from the hat were donated to the New York Immigration Coalition’s Emergency Justice Fund, which provides direct cash assistance to immigrants who have been detained.
For the encore, the band brought out singer-songwriter Sammy Rae, much to the audience’s delight, for an ethereal rendition of “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, keeping with the night’s theme.
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