Milky Chance at Music Hall of Williamsburg

The German electro-folk duo Milky Chance have enjoyed rapid success since they independently recorded and released their LP Sadnecessary in 2013. The album charted at #17 on the Billboard 200 and the video for their first single, Stolen Dance, went viral on YouTube, racking up over 110 million views. They’ve already played a string of sold-out dates on their first North American tour, and at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in NYC last Saturday night, they played yet another one to a fervent crowd of followers.

Milky Chance’s duo of Clemens Rehbein (guitar and vocals) and Philipp Dausch (programming and percussion) was augmented with an additional guitar/harmonica player for the 15-song set. Rehbein’s voice has a raw, ragged quality that, on record, logically complements their quirky musical style. Unfortunately, when coupled with an overabundance of live reverb (as it was on Saturday night), the lyrics were completely obscured. While this distortion could have alienated concertgoers not already familiar with their songs, it did not appear to dampen the audience’s enthusiasm, as most in attendance knew the words by heart. 

The crowd loudly shouted their approval for the singles Sadnecessary, Flashed Junk Mind and Stolen Dance, but for a band with only one album, a 15-song set seemed a bit bloated. Also, having such a limited body of work to draw from only highlighted the lack of variation in their style. Loveland was the only song of the night that dared to step away from the electronic loops long enough to reflect any semblance of folk music. 

While Milky Chance deserve recognition for their efforts to deliver a show that’s designed to please their core fan base, there’s room for improvement for creating a live experience that will continue to build upon it.

Mariana Howard
Photos: Erol Birsen

For further information about Milky Chance and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Flashed Junk Mind here: