FROM ANONYMOUS TO BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE
The show opened with a literal bang. The December 12th Bowery Ballroom crowd, mostly twenty-somethings, halted their idle chatter in surprise as Rebounder began their set. Heavy guitar riffs blasted through the space. A fitting start, as the announcement of this performance, opening for City of the Sun, came only about a week prior. A vibrant and energetic sound–think early punk basement performance, cool and intimate–provided the perfect soundtrack for a lively Friday night in NYC.
Rebounder has certainly kept listeners and critics on their toes ever since its inception, shrouded in mystery. Album artwork and social media posts concealing the musicians’ identities accompanied their initial foray into the NYC music scene, an infectious single entitled “Japanese Posters.” Determined to de-mask the musicians, the public asked, “Who is Rebounder?”, literally. DIY Mag even wrote in March, “Make yourself known, Rebounder. We’re all ears.” And they certainly did, in their own time, playing shows around their native NYC. But after opening for The Neighbourhood at Brooklyn Steel and Rebel nightclub in Ontario, the cat officially left the bag.
Rebounder is the project of Dylan Chenfeld, lead singer. The Bowery Ballroom show featured “permanent bassist and sometimes co-writing partner/brother” Noah Chenfeld, Eric Nizgretsky on guitar, and Theo Munger on drums. It’s important to specify which members performed at which show because the live members change often, though they’re always native New Yorkers.
As evidenced by the initial anonymity, through Rebounder Chenfeld aims to focus on the music and the city that inspires it, New York, rather than individual personalities–though the inherent aura of mystery can’t help but to create buzz.
What Rebounder does so successfully is to create an appearance of distant, aspirational coolness that, upon uncovering more, morphs into approachable chill. Like the character of “Japanese Posters,” they can surely be seen at sick afterparties, but instead of an apathetic underlay void of substance, Chenfeld clearly cares about how Rebounder sounds; how it sees and is seen. Though we may never know exactly when or where Rebounder strikes, we’ll definitely around when it does.
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Photos © Alli Lorraine. All Rights Reserved.
