Frost Fest Delivers An Energetic Clash of Genres (2024)

Event Details:

• Date: August 22, 2024

• Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn)

• Ticket Price: $43.80

• Artists: Danny Brown performing with Frost Children w/ Lip Critic and Pieri

Sort of a random show tonight but there is a new band rising on the scene that I was very interested in seeing and they did not disappoint. Lip Critic is a super cool mix of digital hardcore, art punk and a wee bit of hip-hop. Comprising of two drummers, synths and a singer, they have a very minimal makeup but a huge experimental sound. Also making the lineup was experimental hip-hop star Danny Brown, performing with a duo known as Frost Children. As a huge JPEGMAFIA fan I am very familiar with Danny Brown, though had never heard of Frost Children but figured it would be an interesting show at the least.

Interesting would be a way to describe what was playing when I arrived. Pieri is Latin pop rap artist from Mexico and she was one of the openers for tonight’s show. The crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves but it was definitely not my thing. Aside from her strong energy on stage, it felt like she was just yelling into the microphone and complaining about the sound. She didn’t give a shout out to a single other artist on the bill and you would have thought she was the headliner by the way she was acting.

Next up was the band I came to see, Lip Critic, and they got right to business. This band came across my radar with their most recent release Hex Dealer and then I saw they were playing a show at one of my favorite venues, TV EYE, but tickets were sold out. This was a late night browsing Bandsintown purchase but when I saw they were playing with this lineup I scooped up a ticket. They are unconventional in almost every way, blending all of the genres mentioned above but also doing so without a guitarist or bassist. The drummer duo also gives them a huge sound that fills the mix. The house did a great job tonight mixing everyone’s sound.

The crowd was into it as well, jumping around and pushing each other all over the floor. About the level of energy that I would expect for a band like this and also promising for the band’s future to have such an energetic crowd that knows all of the songs. They for sure exceeded my expectations and I immediately went to buy a shirt after their set but they didn’t have anymore in my size so I’ll just have to find something online. Great band, keep an eye on them over the next few years.

As I mentioned, I am familiar with Danny Brown and his unique tone and delivery. I don’t know if you would call it an “underground movement” but there is a group of artists that do not get the typical mainstream recognition but have steadily delivered highly acclaimed albums and built strong fanbases over the last ten years or so. Danny Brown is certainly one of them and I would say his music is like it or leave it; probably not much in between. He’s done some cool collabs and tonight was even more different than what I anticipated.

It was like a rap concert merged with a rock concert but nothing even close to what people would often think of as “rap rock”. Rather than having a DJ or backing tracks, Danny had a band but the band seemed like an independent entity that was the driving force underlying the raw energy in the crowd while Danny’s rhythmic delivery was the glue holding everything together. The crowd was ready for it and I did not expect them to get as wild as they did. People were moshing like crazy, dancing in the middle of the circle, head banging and generally having a great time. It reminded me of a lot of heavier rock and metal shows I go to.

After tonight’s show, I have a greater appreciation for Danny Brown’s music. He isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of what is considered traditional and has created a style that is almost instantly recognizable as him. Albeit a rather random show, it ended up being a fun experience and glad to have gotten a chance to see both sets.

Cheers and keep rocking!