Living in the East Village, I’ve passed bar and venue Coney Island Baby countless times. I’d always been intrigued, especially since Coney Island is my favorite place in all of New York (what can I say, I’m a sucker for a good amusement park). The venue itself just doesn’t have the razzle dazzle I had always expected; it’s just a regular bar with a small stage in the back. I soon realized, that at least on this night, it was the bands themselves that gave this run of the mill bar life. Four bands: Dinner Time, Skells, Daddy’s Beemer, and Deep Sea Peach Tree rocked the Coney Island Baby stage hard, to an audience that collectively looked like they came straight out of the 80’s (or at the very least the set of Stranger Things).

Dinner Time from Atlanta, Georgia, was the first to squeeze their five piece band onto the tiny stage. Each member was dressed in their own unique and quirky way, including floral button ups, visors, and even a sleeping eye mask; but somehow, it all looked just right as they stood on that stage together. Although the crowd wasn’t too large yet, those who were in attendance jumped and danced around to their indie-surf-pop-rock beats. They told the few people in the crowd that they had been on tour for awhile now, and they *really* needed people to buy merch as they were running out of money and (hopefully jokingly) needed to buy soap to use in the shower.

My favorite moment of their set was when they sang a song and each member got to sing a little part, even lifting a mic stand over their drummer so he could be a part of it as well. Five guys showing their love for each other on stage and shedding that layer of traditional masculinity have definitely won my heart.

Next up was Skells from Rockaway Beach. At first, I was skeptical of what kind of music they would play - I mean, the singer was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a camo hat, which didn’t exactly fit the scene (“oh god, country?” definitely went through my head). However, as they began to perform, it became apparent the four live near an ocean as their smooth surf rock sounds filled the space. I was completely blown away by the singer’s voice, and the four members were clearly comfortable on stage together. Next time I hit the beach, I’ll for sure be blasting the Skells through my speakers.

I can’t say enough good things about Daddy’s Beemer from Charleston, North Carolina. Their amazing stage presence that kept the audience jumping along with them from the first beat - I even noticed one girl in the crowd who seemed to know all the words. The perfect mix of upbeat dance music with an indie rock soul, I can imagine listening to Daddy’s Beemer just about any time (and yes, maybe I am listening to them right now). Halfway through the set, bubbles started to float down from above, adding a hint of whimsy to an already fun performance. Whatever this “it” factor is everyone seems to talk about - Daddy’s Beemer has it.

The last band to perform, Deep Sea Peach Tree from Brooklyn started out strong and ended even stronger. Their set up struck me as a bit strange, with their lead singer Kristof off to the side and their bassist and backup singer Andrew in the middle - but it became apparent that he was in the middle for a reason. While the entire band was fantastic to watch, this middle man was clearly not afraid to let loose and pull out all the dance moves and faces necessary to capture the audience's attention. This band is clearly well loved and for good reason; although described as “sleepy surf rock” their live performance is anything but sleepy. The crowd was ready to party hard with the Deep Sea Peach Tree boys, with mosh pits forming for a large majority of their set. For one song, guitarist Wiley seemed to say ‘screw it’ and joined his friends and fans in the pit, breaking the barrier between artist and viewer.

Deep Sea Peach Tree | At Coney Island Baby

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