Local Philly-area band, Afloat, releases self-titled EP out now on Spotify and Apple Music - i99Radio, Philadelphia's Alternative Rock!

Bayside returned to Philly this past week for a two night stand celebrating their music both old and new. i99Radio was on the scene to capture night one of two. For the first night, Bayside brought songs from their early years, 2004 to 2008. For many of us, it takes us back instantly to the songs of our childhood, middle and high school years, and the audience spanning Gen X to Gen Alpha came ready to rock.

Long Island, NY’s The Sleeping started the night off and brought their unique blend of post-hardcore and raw energy to the stage that really got the audience going. People thrashed around and sang along, and even a toddler hopping up on his dad’s shoulders to get a better view of frontman Doug Robinson, who climbed up to the barrier, putting his microphone up to fans to sing along with them, and eventually even crowdsurfing above their heads at one point. The band has been experiencing a revival since their reunion in 2022 and their fantastic newest album, “I Feel Like I’m Becoming a Ghost”, dropping in 2023.

Bayside then took the stage, kicking off their set with the classic track, “Montauk”, from their second self-titled album. Frontman Anthony Ranieri commented how their idea for the “Errors Tour” came about when they wanted to play 44 songs in each city, instead of just 22. He talked about how the band has so many songs that fans love from all across their career, but not enough time to play them all, so they thought, “why not just play 2 nights in every city?”

The night of classic nostalgia continued on, with the band delivering high-energy versions of much loved tracks from their third album, 2007’s “The Walking Wounded”, like “Duality”, “I and I”, and the ballad “Landing Feet First” (of which started a massive audience singalong). The band also reached far back in their discography, playing tracks from their first years as a band, like “Masterpiece”, “Guardrail” and “Kellum”, off of the first album, 2004’s “Sirens and Condolences.” The audience was audibly excited by this, as these tracks are very rarely played live. The audience cheered loudly and unleashed a constant stream of crowd-surfers to the front of stage as they ripped through these classic tracks. The “newest” songs they played for night 1 were tracks from 2008’s classic album, “Shudder”, like “Boy”, “No One Understands” and “The Ghost of St. Valentine”. Again, many of these tracks haven’t been played since the Shudder Tour in 2008 so hearing these songs was certainly a treat for the audience.

Bayside’s show at Brooklyn Bowl was a testament to how the songs we grew up with are forever engrained in our DNA, the music grows with us and becomes a part of us as we grow older, but we never forget the songs that influenced us almost two decades ago. The 1,000 people in the audience who turned up to sing every word of these songs that are almost 20 years old now proves this to be true and Bayside to be a band close to so many people’s hearts.

Photos by Dave Avidan

“Sad girl rock” trio, Afloat, has made their debut with their five song, self-titled EP that was released earlier this year. The band is consistent of Gabby Relos on lead guitar and vocals, Josh Rubeo on bass, and Max Bizerak on drums. The trio was formed when Relos needed a band to get together for her final senior project at Rowan University, but the three decided to continue on even after her graduation, and have been playing local shows in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area throughout the summer.
The EP kicks off with the track “Haze” that starts with steady drum beat and a melancholic guitar riff, while Relos sings of “feeling like the weather in the winter” already painting a picture of a bleak, dark, and dreary day that Philly residents know all too well. She is questioning if this feeling of dread and worry will ever leave and on the chorus she exclaims, “I’m lost in a haze, can you get me out?” most likely referring to the seasonal affective disorder that most people experience during the long, cold, winter months.
The second track however, “Faded Spots” gives off more of an upbeat, and bouncing rhythm. More of an interlude rather than a full song, as it lasts only about two minutes, the lead singer seems to be shedding light on someone in her life who may have said some hypocritical things to her at one point or another. But even so, she is finding closure as she sings, “Take it back, take back what you said it doesn’t mean anything to me” as the song comes to a close it fades into the third song on the EP, “Pulling Teeth” which comes as a break in sound from the previous tracks. “Pulling Teeth” has a steadfast drum, with pulsing bass, and rocking guitar. The song comes in strong and then fades on the bridge before diving back into the breakdown.
The closing track comes more as a piece of poetry from lead singer, Gabby Relos, as she begins the song with a soft strum of guitar and soothing vocals, when it then transitions into spoken word with just the guitar playing along to the rhythm of her words. She reflects on a past love in a heartfelt and raw moment of truth and vulnerability.
Bass player, Josh Rubeo, said of the recording process, “Max and I just walked into the studio and I listened to the guitar/vocal track that Gabby had already made a few times and we wrote our parts right there. We recorded for a few days within the course of a week during winter break at Rowan’s studio.” As for the inspiration behind the EP Relos says, “For me personally it was taking the risk of actually recording. I’ve never fronted a band and never sang before so this whole process was very eye opening for me. These songs that we wrote are about knowing that your own feelings are valid and it’s okay to feel a certain way. As you get older you start to realize what kind of relationships you have with people, not just in a romantic way. That’s something I’ve learned through this whole process.”

The band is still currently playing local shows in the area, and their EP can be streamed on bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify. They have also recorded a new single called “Crush Me” that won’t be released until January of 2019, so keep an eye out for Afloat and go catch them at a show near you! You can find out where they’ll be playing next by liking their Facebook page, and following their Instagram.

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