REVIEW: ‘All My Friends Vol. II’ was A House Party at Sony Hal
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY ROBBY SHEILS ☆
Photos by Stephen Diamond
THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF ALL MY FRIENDS GAVE THE NAME JUSTICE. Last Thursday in Manhattan, our NYC Luna team was treated to a special night with Bay Faction, Renny Conti, Mary Shelley and Pan Arcadia. Performance after performance, each artist put on memorable sets, turning Sony Hall into their own personal house party. The evening was packed with headbangs, swaying, singing and cheering.
The event was a collaboration between The Luna Collective, Sony Hall, Bands do BK and The Deli, and marked the second installment in the ‘All My Friends’ show collection. Our Luna team held a booth in the center and got the chance to meet folks from each team. Even before the lights dimmed, there was already a steady buzz of anticipation permeating through a crowd of old and new friends.
First to take the stage was Bay Faction, performing as an acoustic solo act. Strumming their unreleased EP ‘Year of the Dog’ for the first time in the states, early birds finished their drinks and flocked down to the floor. We all listened with watchful eyes, pausing to hear singer James McDermott weave each delicate word into poignant verses. It was an apt start to a special night—a reminder to put our busy lives aside to experience good, indie music together. Listen to the EP’s lead single “2” here.
Next up was alt-Americana singer Renny Conti, joined with a four piece band that kicked off the dancing. Drenched in twang and melancholy, Renny and co. had the disco balls spinning in full effect. Arm and arm, our growing crowd sang along to ‘Workhouse’ and more from their recent self-titled album release.
As swaying leads to dancing, dancing inevitably leads to moshing. Mary Shelley fulfilled this progression. The NYC-based post-punk band came out firing; within minutes, trench coats were thrown, a mic was knocked offstage, and a true mosh pit formed on the floor. Later, lead singer Jackson Dockery ran down into the crowd themself, dancing and pushing between us.
The night came to a close with Pan Arcadia, another NYC-based band pumping out new music. They jammed through tracks from their 2025 project ‘Everything’s Fine’, and announced that All My Friends was their first show since the release. Near the end of their set, we were also treated to a sneak preview of their (now) new single ‘Birds In a Cage’. Deep, lengthy vocals made for melodies that paired seamlessly over steady guitar riffs. Getting a peak behind the curtain bookended the intimate performances with a bow.
All night long, the veil between stage and floor seemed refreshingly nonexistent. Each performance was genuine, directed to an audience of friends and family. As the cherry on top, each wrapped artist joined the crowd to echo the love. For a few hours, it was as if Sony Hall had transformed into someone’s living room. When the lights turned back on and the crew began to pack away the stage, I was struck by the congregation that remained. Instead of packing bags and rushing to the nearest subway, groups stayed out on the lit-up floor, hugging and smiling and wishing congratulations. In the end, it was a sweet night with all my friends.
