11.4 A wknd w/ Petite League
Lorenzo Gillis Cook of the Queens-based band on carbin' up, gettin' served and the 'Thrill Seekers' album-release show TONIGHT at Alphaville
First off, apologies for the (relative) skimpiness of this week’s SETLIST. From Wednesday ‘til Sunday, it’s BANDS DO REYKJAVIK, BABY (real ring to it; plz send Icelandic artist recs), so if this newsletter is missing a chunk or two … and, more importantly, that TGIF FLAVA… it’s because we’re technically writing most of it on a Monday night/Tuesday morning. (And if you’re not in fact reading this at all, that is because it’s our first time using Substack’s scheduling function and, while we can only assume it’s idiot-proof… well, lol, don’t put it past us.)
Now, onto the good stuff. The, like, really, really good stuff. More specifically, Thrill Seekers, the brand-new, damn beautiful album from Petite League, which dropped October 21st—and that we’ve been spinning on repeat pretty much ever since.
In a post announcing the album’s release, Petite League songwriter and composer Lorenzo Gillis Cook offered insight into the writing of the record and described the mindset he adopted when making this music: a perspective and approach defined by an intentional lack of deadlines, liberation from rules and expectations—others’ and his own—and a simultaneous appreciation for Petite League’s past and a present willingness to do things differently.
Lorenzo also offered context. The two-year process of making the record began following a debilitating period of isolation-induced depression—when, the artist shares, the “only real solution was to return fully to what made [him] happiest.” And that timeline makes sense, because the record feels, and sounds, like waking up—the result of an artist taking on the full spectrum of the human experience, its beauties and pains and undeniable complications and complexities, with open eyes, ears and heart. (The last line of the album is actually “Let’s embrace the disarray.”)
These are sunny songs with lyrics that are rife with life, the artist masterfully melding real, small, everyday details (“On my walk to therapy / where the sidewalk meets the edge of the weeds / I was overcome” ) with unexpected, and often quite literally, colorful figures of speech (song titles include “Pantone Karaoke” and “Floating Blue”). And it’s through this artful style and strategy—leaving certain ideas up to interpretation, allowing the listener’s imagination fly, while rooting every metaphor in a reality that makes it relatable, bringing you back down to earth where this whole ~living thing~ is actually happening right this second—that Petite League hits a certain songwriting sweet spot, making for a product that doesn’t just hit on both the fun and feelings fronts but is sure to simultaneously please any poetry professors and inspire at least, like, 2,000 tiny tattoos.
There are dozens of lines that exemplify the band’s obvious love of language that we would love to list here (these are the kind of lyrics that make you wish you wrote them), but here’s just one example of the prose prowess at play onThrill Seekers via a particularly satisfying excerpt from “Disarray,” the last track on the album, which is also quoted above:
“But I’m still just a
Distracted magazine flicker,
A passion-dependent bread-winner,
A smoke-break babysitter,
A bench-clearin’ home run hitter”
(*Disclaimer: we pulled these lyrics by the totally surefire method that is self-transcription, so they’re def liiiike 94% accurate, but there might be SOME small mistakes.) (Our hearing could be better — we go to a lot of shows.)
Finally, as a thoroughly New York band—the project was born in a Syracuse house venue and has been based in Queens since 2016—it’s no surprise that the group has laced the songs with some very NYC references (the subway, The Rockaways, “When the Mets don’t win and it hurts like sin…”), and the city itself, or Lorenzo’s experience of it, is even depicted on the album art, of which the artist wrote that Brandon Celi “perfectly captured New York and freeing feeling I have in my heart living here.”
Beyond touching on process and perspective, Lorenzo finished his gratitude-soaked post with something so lovely and sincere that we have to post it here:
“What’s the album about?
If I’m being honest, I don’t think I fully have the answer yet. Looking at it now, I think it’s about appreciating whatever makes your heart beat, growing through your tears of joy, and accepting change by going head-on into it while also never forgetting what keeps you grounded in the first place.
idk I just know that 2 years ago i was crying bc I was down and out and, this week, I've been crying because I'm really happy ❤️”
AND NOW WE’RE CRYING.
Ok, this intro essentially turned into a full-on album review because, man … we really, really love this record. Thrill Seekers is out everywhere now, and the band will be celebrating TONIGHT at their release show at Alphaville — grab your tix here.
As for the rest of the wknd, Lorenzo has gotchu covered, kids. Turn on and turn up these sweet, sweet tunes and then, please, go seek some thrills.
(Even if said thrill is just saying to hell with it and ordering that overpriced bagel. As your always-reliable enablers, much like any/all indulgences, we are 100% certain that, in one way or another, you absolutely earned it.)
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
FRIDAY
I will be waking up a little earlier than usual to get a few things finished for the big Petite League record release show at Alphaville that night. If I’m running around Ridgewood and Bushwick all day, the only way to fuel up right is a green smoothie from Jupioca and a burrito from Nene’s. This will certainly make me extremely sleepy but, as an anti-napper, I’ll just kinda laze around my apartment until show time.
Doors are at 8PM and the festivities will be kicked off by Long Island legend Penghoul, of Soft Cough fame, followed by Petite League playing a brand new set full of Thrill Seekers songs for the first time.
Alphaville is the perfect place for a show like this because it’s also one of our favorite bars to hang out at. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the combination of listening to SadoSan’s post-show DJ set while sipping the signature Alphaville raspberry whiskey ginger.
SATURDAY
I will surely have made way too many promises of getting breakfast, brunch, and lunch after the show on Friday. However, I will surely end up doing none of those and, instead, go get a celebratory bagel with lox with my girlfriend and her little dog at Simply Nova. I’ll spend way more than I should but it’ll feel earned.
After carbo loading and feeling excellent because all of the Champagne (of beers) I will have drunk and showered in the night prior, I will head to Cooper Park where my brother will unleash a flurry of un-returnable tennis serves on me. This will effectively shrink any inflated ego from being the center of attention at the record release show.
The Celtics are playing the Knicks and Syracuse is playing Pittsburgh on Saturday so a good faction of our buddies will be gathering somewhere to split a few pitchers and mindlessly indulge in some sports. Redd’s Tavern is our go-to sports bar lately. If the crew grows, we’ll end up at Pearl's Social & Billy Club later in the night to cap things off.
SUNDAY
The reality has set in. The new record, Thrill Seekers, is out and the release show has passed. It’s time to re-focus on new music, new shows, new tours, and to keep the flame burning. I’ll probably FaceTime with the gang and start making plans for our big USA spring tour which will now be our primary focus.
I’ll be glued to my couch all day and feel really good about that!
Itinerary above written + submitted by Petite League. Follow the band at @petiteleague, buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image provided by the band.
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
While on tour in Europe, Pom Pom Squad’s van was broken into, and all of their gear, as well as their personal items, were stolen. If you have the means to help, please donate to the band’s GoFundMe to help them get to their goal, financially recover and get back on the road.
IT’S HAPPENIN’
Here’s a look at the events we’ve got coming up. Mark your calendars and come hang!
11.10 BdBK Presents: Caravela Album-Release Show w/ Corey Mastrangelo, Living Room @ Our Wicked Lady - tix here
11.12 BdBK x Local Bops x My Son The Doctor present: TURKEY SLAMDOWN, a benefit show for Make The Road NY w/ MSTD + Powersnap + Connector + 2 ~special guests~ @ Rubuald - tix here
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3
Order the Bands do BK BOOK (!) (out now via Lit Riot Press) here.