Writer/Photos: Zak Radick

Exciting up-and-coming Connecticut rockers Eggy made their triumphant return to the Empire State over the weekend, bringing their mini spring tour to Rochester, NY and Saratoga Springs, NY for a dynamic pair of sold-out shows.

Poised for a breakout year in 2020, Covid-19 had a major impact on the band. With all touring plans scrambled by the global pandemic, Eggy’s momentum seemingly come to a screeching halt. Comprised of Dani Battat (keys, vocals), Jake Brownstein (guitar, vocals), Alex Bailey (drums, vocals), and Michael Goodman (bass, vocals), members now admit there was a definite psychological toll of going from “buzz band” back to “basement band” those first few months.

Even still, Eggy was anything but lazy during quarantine, using the time to transform their basement into a performance space affectionately dubbed “The Egg Crate.” The band hunkered down and wrote a ton of new material, experimented with different instruments, and even began exploring the word of customized clothing embroidery. It was also during this period the band recorded their latest official release, “Egg Crate After Hours.” this release resulted in a 42 minute 4 song jam session showcasing the young bands incredible musicality, energy and a proficiency for improvising that feels well beyond their years; a small glimpse into the direction they’re heading.

Returning to the Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, NY Saturday night, it felt almost as if things had come full circle for Eggy, as the last live gig the band played before the pandemic shutdown was Albany, just a few miles down the road from Saratoga. With limited capacity restrictions still in place, the sold out show took on a very intimate feel, like a reunion amongst friends, bonded together by music and dance and a shared energy of optimism and hope. Coming out of the gates with a scorching opening set, highlights included the opening number “Mr. Domino>Bobcat Flow,” “BubaGum,” and a new song played for only the second time ever, “Broken Bluff,” which featured multi-talented guitarist Jake Brownstein on the keys.

As great as the first set was, the energy for the second set was somehow ratcheted to an even higher level. Opening with Dani Battat handling vocals on “Shadow,” the band then segued into the only cover of the night, the Crosby Stills and Nash classic “Southern Cross,” which also featured audience approved teases of Led Zeppelin anthems Black Dog and The Ocean. Cooking on all cylinders now, the boys in Eggy were clearing having fun and appreciating the experience of getting to play live music in front of a crowd again after so much time away. Never was this more evident than during funky-fun one-two punch of “One Stop Shop>Onitsuka Tiger” that unhatched the Putnam into an all-out dance party. “Zugzwang” and a blistering version of “In It For The Ride” rounded out the remainder of the fantastic set. With just enough time left for an encore, the evening ended the way it began, coming full circle with a “Mr. Domino Reprise.”

With a stellar sold-out performance and a triumphant return to the capital region now in the rearview, it’s clear Eggy is back, hungrier and tighter than ever. With several high-profile festival slots already confirmed for later this summer, the band will look ahead to recapture whatever momentum they may have lost. If performances like this past weekend are any indication, it would seem the break-out year Eggy was destined to have is still looming, just delayed by a year.

Setlist:

Set 1: Mr Domino>Bobcat Flow>BubaGum, Figure It Out, Solid Ground, Between You and Me, Broken Bluff ¹
Set 2: Shadow>Southern Cross ², One Stop Shop ³ > Onitsuka Tiger ⁴, Zugzwang, In It For The Ride ⁵
E: Mr. Domino Reprise

Show notes:

¹ Jake on keys
² Crosby Stills and Nash cover – The Ocean and Black Dog teases (Led Zeppelin)
³ Last of Kin tease
⁴ with vocal jam and Parseltonguef
⁵ Shadow tease