Central Park

Soccer Mommy / Hurray for the Riff Raff / Dummy / Sam Sumpter DJ

Over the past 10 years, Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison has established herself as one of the most distinctive voices in indie rock. She writes tender songs with gorgeous guitar tones that ruminate on love, self-doubt, and vulnerability. The Nashville native got her start here in New York City, playing her first show at the DIY space Silent Barn during her undergraduate studies at NYU. Her 2020 LP Color Theory became a lodestar during the pandemic, with songs like “Circle the Drain” and “Crawling in My Skin” reflecting the turmoil of isolation through ‘90s grunge riffs and soaring hooks. After dabbling in maximalist production on that LP and its follow up Sometimes, Forever, her latest LP Evergreen is a return to the sonic elements from her debut full-length Clean, leaning on organic sounds and acoustic instruments. Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra has a different NYC origin story; born and raised in the Bronx, they ran away from home as a teen to ride the rails and see the country before settling in New Orleans, where they became a promising folk musician. After several albums that demonstrated a knack for the understated sounds of Americana they’ve since made two very different albums that explore their roots. 2017’s The Navigator ruminates on their flight from the Bronx and how different it felt upon their return, through the lens of a fictional character’s story reflected on their own; and their latest LP The Past Is Still Alive digs into their years riding the rails and sleeping under the stars. Avant-pop band Dummy will round out the evening with their heavy, transfixing sound. Their last full-length album, 2024’s Free Energy, was named a Stereogum Album of the Week.