james ivy at erf studios in brooklyn

Should the people here be obligated to share the same chronically online experience I had in relation with this place for an artist who is best known for their work in small digital circles? Probably not. But still, it was interesting feeling out of place among so many people who had most likely shared similar experiences as me.

Enough of that.

After biking 30 minutes in the summer heat with the sun engraving its mark along my neck and arms I got to erf. This show was one of the few I've been to that was completely free, all they required was an rsvp ahead of time so that they could count for capacity. Yet, to my surprise it was probably the longest line I've ever seen for an artist, which if you've been to shows with me, you would know that I've seen some absurd lines (fakemink, jane remover, geordie greep to name a few).

This was fine though, I've been in long lines alone before, it actually makes for a really fun time meeting new people. I had a few conversations in this instance, the first being with a guy who asked me to hold his spot in line just for him to leave and never return. The second conversation pertains to an older woman who tapped me on the shoulder to ask about how the ticket process would work. Me being just another guy in line told her that I had no idea. We ended up talking for a while about james and music in general, which was kind of an odd experience because she was easily in her thirties and I felt like I couldn't relate to her experiences. In a way it was comforting and repulsive at the same time to become friends with a random person who has similar interests as me but was so much older. I feel this way nearly every time I'm talking to someone in this context, this isn't the first time it's happened either, when I saw lcd soundsystem at knockdown and cameron winter at carnegie I felt a very similar way. I think that most of this can be attributed to the fact that I see far too much of my future self in these people and that I don't know if I want my future to be like theirs.

James' performance was quite short, he only played 8 songs including a second performance of 'bent', all which were well put together with a harmonious supporting group.

I ended up leaving quite promptly after taking a setlist, I didn't really want to attempt to converse with others around me, I mean… I did, but I didn't want to put in the effort to. I also tried following some advice james gave and biked back to greenpoint on a citibike, which was quite the interesting feeling. Like I said, I'd never been to this part of brooklyn, so I felt like I was largely in survival mode, trying to figure out where to go and not make a wrong turn. It was freeing in a way to be in a city that seems infinite, biking behind couples and passing friends who are out for drinks. I'll miss that feeling, but it will be back one day.