Words and Photos by Katherine Cardinale
Alternative indie artist Soccer Mommy recently headlined a free concert along with avant-pop group Dummy and folk band Hurray for the Riff Raff at New York City’s Central Park Summerstage. The grassy and spacious outdoor venue set the perfect scene of the tone of the show, which featured haunting vocals and touching instrumentals. Since the show was open to the public and on a cool Tuesday night, audience members slowly trickled into the venue as the night progressed. Fans laid out picnic blankets and enjoyed dinner while listening to the openers’ sets before standing for Soccer Mommy’s performance.
Soccer Mommy walked out with her band to the soundtrack of the popular “cozy” video game Stardew Valley before launching into a flawless performance of the fan favorite song “circle the drain” from her 2020 album, color theory. Later in the set, Soccer Mommy expressed her love for the Stardew Valley character Abigail before playing her song that shares the same name. Other highlights of the evening included stunning live renditions of “Driver,” “Lost,” and “M,” all of which are from her latest record Evergreen. The setlist was a perfect blend of songs both old and new, and the hushed, respectful silence from fans was confirmation of the bands’ ability to captivate their audience.
The show was a brief but much needed pause from the regular hustle and bustle of New York City. As the lights came back on and the post show playlist began to play, the audience dispersed and disappeared into the night.
Loudspeaker Collective 