Not surprisingly, there wasn’t any time to take the foot off the gas on November 9, the day New York’s Big Village Little City released their debut album, Over the Weather. There was still work to be done, from a taping at City Winery to a record release party.
It’s the life of a working musician, and Amy Grace and her crew (Osei Kweku, Zac Hills-Bonczyk, Kenrick McBean, Kai Sandoval, Bryan Pasian, Mauki McGruder) aren’t waiting for the world to come to them. They’re going after every listener they can get the old fashioned way — by making good music and playing it whenever they can.
But since 2016, they’ve managed to make it work with a diverse, yet cohesive, style that has a little bit of something for everyone. And in a city that isn’t easy to build a following, BVLC has managed to make a true home in the Big Apple.
That means body painters and live artists to go along with the music, and when you add it all together, it’s a fun time where you get your money’s worth. No, it’s not your typical night out, but that’s the point.
That can be a good thing or a bad thing. In the case of BVLC, it’s a great thing, because it’s a mix of sounds that does the nearly impossible these days: it sounds fresh.
Oh, don’t worry Ms. Grace, people will be listening. And she can’t wait for more folks to join the BVLC family in the coming years.