Brasstracks @ The Foundry
WRITTEN & PHOTOS BY: Ian Hranilovich
What better way to spend St. Patrick’s Day than at a concert? Grammy-nominated duo Brasstracks hit the stage at The Foundry on their For Those Who Know Tour to deliver a full on jam session. From fan favorites to unreleased singles from their upcoming EP, the duo gave the crowd an absolutely unforgettable experience. Brasstracks, based in Brooklyn, are embarking on their first headline tour across the U.S. Consisting of trumpeter/keyboardist Ivan Jackson and drummer Conor Rayne, the two have already made a significant mark in the music industry, collaborating with Chance The Rapper on his hit song, ”No Problem.” Unsurprisingly, the track won big at the 2017 Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap Performance.
The show started right as doors opened at 9 with local college DJ, DJ Chen. Chen, a freshman at Drexel University, got the crowd’s attention quickly through plenty of classic hip-hop throwbacks. After his set, supporting act S’natra took to the stage. The Harlem rapper danced with eccentricity on stage, performing many unreleased songs off of his upcoming project, Subject to Change, all produced by Brasstracks.
Right around 11:45, Ivan and Conor jumped on stage, greeted heavily by overjoyed fans. They opened with their hit song, “Say U Won’t,” off of their first EP, Good Love. Ivan began playing the original melody, but quickly transitioned into a wild improvisational solo. Conor wailed on the drums, using each and every piece of the drum kit. Song after song, the two wasted no time jamming over their hits.
The duo jumped right into more songs from their most recent release, For Those Who Know Part 1, bringing S’natra back out to perform “Opposite Ways.” After, they brought out a special guest all the way from London – rapper BXRBER, to perform their song ”Brownstone.” Sporting a Flyers hat, the rapper displayed loads of personality and charisma on stage, absolutely rocking it. From there, Conor began to improvise on the drums. Even after playing almost straight through for the entire set, his hands showed no remorse. After performing “When You Say That,” Ivan and Conor went right into a cover of viral hit, “My Boo.” Ivan continued to show his impressive improvisational skills over the catchy chord progression.
At this point in the show, it was only fitting for the two to perform what most people were there to hear – “No Problem.” The crowd erupted in cheers and praise as Conor drummed and Ivan played keys along to the rap beat. During the song, Ivan mashed it together nicely with the melody to Kanye West’s “All of the Lights.” The night didn’t stop there, however. Following that, they went straight into a cover of Lil Uzi Vert’s “XO Tour Llif3.” Once again, the duo took turns soloing throughout the song, further impressing the crowd and inciting even louder cheers.
For their last official song, Ivan and Conor performed a brand new song off of their upcoming EP, For Those Who Know Part 2. The song features rapper Denzel Curry and singer FatherDude. Of course, the crowd was begging for an encore, so Ivan and Conor delivered a short and energetic cover of TNGHT’s “Higher Ground.” Brasstracks genuinely showcased their playing ability and charisma on stage to end out another St. Patrick’s Day in Philly. Afterwards, Ivan hung around to talk and take pictures with fans.
It truly is just the beginning for the duo. Their next release, For Those Who Know Part 2, doesn’t have a release date yet. You can find Brasstracks on all streaming platforms, as well as on Twitter and Instagram @Brasstracks.
