Zulas and Luyas in the Round

Manhattan’s Le Poisson Rouge is one of the swankier venues to catch a show in NYC. Every so often, they showcase artists ‘in the round’. This style of performance involves the unique vantage of a circular stage. I never had the opportunity before to photograph a band in this setting. Being able to prowl around to find the best angles made it a cool challenge to accentuate these independent acts.

I got lured out this evening for Zula, a group of funky Brooklyners I’ve photographed a few times back with Neat Beet. They’ve got a knack for street-savvy rhythms that bliss one out. The group’s most recent release is Grasshopper, and are homing in on a new EP with a refreshed lineup that’s firing on all cylinders.

Visiting from Montreal and closing out the night were The Luyas. The band’s celebrating last month’s album, Human Voicing, and have a chill vibe that is nuanced by singer Jessie Stein’s light as air vocals. Ample amounts of brass, steel guitar and a many-stringed device known as a moodswinger round out the group’s array of instruments.