Fans couldn’t ask for a better show as the renewed bass stylings of Barclay Crenshaw wubbed their way through NYC in the ‘Open Channel’ tour opener.
Just over two months into 2024, and it’s clearly a great year for Barclay Crenshaw already. He ended 2023 with his last few shows (for now) as Claude VonStroke and immediately dove into his 80-Day Challenge to write and release a new album as Barclay Crenshaw. The Open Channel LP dropped on the same day as the tour kicked off, and Crenshaw’s renewed fan base put his Claude VonStroke alias to shame with crushing new monthly Spotify listener numbers.
As if that wasn’t enough, I’m here to tell you that this tour is not to be missed. It may be too early to say this was my favorite show for the year, but I can tell you it’s a top three for even all of 2023.
The Open Channel tour selected the revered Webster Hall for the opener, and it couldn’t have been a better choice. Since reopening after a lengthy renovation that included fire code upgrades to previously sketchy stairways and corridors, Webster Hall has consistently been one of the few Manhattan clubs worthy of hosting dance music. I would have thought that the Barclay Crenshaw style would have landed him in a Brooklyn warehouse, and that would likely have worked out fine. But Webster Hall helped him deliver with just the right size and sound for the Open Channel tour to begin.
The Open Channel team programmed a terrific build-up of supporting acts to set the stage for Barclay himself.
Nearly everything about this show went off flawlessly, but there was one small hitch in the event’s early hours. Webster Hall’s official event page said “Doors 11:00pm / Show 11:59pm” but when we arrived around 11:40, Yenny was already in full swing. Eagle-eyed fans noted that the event flyer was updated in the days before the show to add Yenny, so perhaps this was a late edition. Either way, the portion of her set we saw was high energy, and the crowd was respectably sized. I suspect she has a loyal fan base that spread the word to get there early.
Next up was my personal favorite new discovery, Super Future. His website has the tagline, “Vibrant Freeform Music,” and that’s a truly apt description. He flowed smoothly through so many different sounds, and always keep the pace, well, vibrant. His trippy visuals and anime clips were seamlessly connected with his screeches and reverb.
Finally, in direct support was Tiedye Ky, who really captured the crowd. His stunning visuals made even the most downtempo bass moments feel incredibly vibrant. He also varied the beats and pace quite a bit, with a slightly more melodic sound overall. Then he surprised the crowd (or at least me) when he went into full sadboi mode and broke out into live vocals for a bass ballad. I was really impressed with the breadth of his talent.
And then it was time for the legend himself, Barclay Crenshaw.
When Crenshaw did a Discord listening party to preview the new album a few days earlier, he promised to play every track in this 90-minute set. That was a tall order, considering how eclectic the album turned out. I can’t say I kept perfect count, but I’m pretty sure he played most of the album, but definitely not all of it. Alas, I doubt you’ll get any complaints from the fans because he absolutely tore the house down!
During the opening of his set, Crenshaw played “Moonspell” by ISOxo, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Soon after, he played an ID that he had recently recorded with Zeke Beats, and the frenzy churned up into a froth. A mere 15 minutes into his set, he continued dialing up the rhythm with “Spark It” from Bennie & CLB. The backdrop for all of this included bespoke Open Channel visuals and a rather impressive laser show coming from only four laser banks. Oh, and right from the start, two break dancers graced the stage and added yet another element to complete the spectacle.
Despite a delayed entry into the Barclay Crenshaw originals, the Crenshaw remixes and Open Channel tracks were there in all their splendor.
Personally, one of the best tracks played live from the album was “King Of Monsters,” with its dark, dirty sounds and rather terrifying vocals. A track about Godzilla, with creepy vocals and screaming humans (recorded from a Cedar Park roller coaster), just hits differently live in the club. You could practically feel the slow thumping footsteps of the monster himself. While I truly loved this experience, I was glad it was only a single track evoking such heavy emotion. Crenshaw played all the more melodic, drum and bass, and jungle tracks from the album to balance things out. He also mixed things up with a few classic track remixes, including Prince‘s “Cherry Pie” and J-Kwon‘s “Tipsy.” I doubt anyone had these tracks on their bingo cards.
With all these accolades about this performance, perhaps the most important element was the crowd vibe. Whether as Barclay or Claude, the goofy teddy bear has cultivated a wonderfully genuine, kind, and caring fan base. I’d guess 80% of the crowd at this show were already fans of Claude and were along for whatever ride he took them on. Even at the show’s peak, when the floor was packed, everyone was dancing and vibing together in one shared experience. From the wooks to the normies, to the furries, to the dude on the rail in the tutu – there was so much shared joy flowing through everyone!
This NYC tour opener was just the first in a long list of tour dates, so run, don’t walk, to a show near you!
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