As a live music enthusiast, I am quick to take up an opportunity to enjoy a concert. Living in New York City, I am lucky enough to be surrounded by the hundreds of music venues the city has to offer. This summer I strived to expose myself to the breadth of talent within the 5 boroughs, which led me to discover one of my new favorite bands, Coral Moons. They are composed of four musicians: singer-songwriter and guitarist Carly Kraft, bassist Miguel Cepeda, drummer Kevin Ewer, and Manuel Camacho on keys. My connection with Coral Moons stems from Mountain Laurel, a Fordham alumni band (feature on them to come!). I was fortunately asked to attend their concert at Bowery Ballroom in lower Manhattan on July 29, 2023, and I eagerly responded that I would be there. To prepare, I began listening to both groups’ discographies and quickly fell in love with each of their band-specific sounds.
Fast forward to the night of the concert, I ecstatically awaited the performance with my roommate, each of us having favorite songs that we were eager to hear live. Bowery Ballroom has a unique atmosphere, as you walk into an intimate, casual bar setting, with a more formal stage upstairs. I personally loved this set-up, and it paid a beautiful ode to the music community. The audience was a part of the performance, as opposed to the modern separation between the artist and fans that larger venues lend themselves to.
When Coral Moons took the stage, I was especially familiar with their top song “Winnebago” off their 2021 debut album entitled Fieldcrest. The song relays the desire to experience adventurous journeys with a partner. This intensity built in front of me at the show, and I felt immersed in the melody’s contagious energy. The band clearly had an unspoken chemistry that drew me in from the very first song, encouraging me to listen to their album and accompanying singles for weeks following the show. Coral Moons closed out their set with “Rich Girl,” by Daryl Hall & John Oates—a song intended for everyone’s participation. They thanked the beaming, cheering crowd, and joined the audience for Mountain Laurel’s set. The band had a true appreciation for live music, which singlehandedly attracted me to their work.
Following the show, I was able to connect with Carly Kraft—the lead vocalist of Coral Moons. Her passion for creating music shined through from the minute we began talking. She touched on the early beginnings of the band, and described them as largely a joke at open mic events at the office they worked at. They started to write songs more seriously together five years ago this month, and have enjoyed masses of success since. Kraft described performing live shows as “unlike anything else. It’s something that touches your soul,” and their Bowery Ballroom performance was nothing short of that. Coral Moons paved the way for this performance by building audiences in their hometown markets, which include Rochester, Boston, and their “home away from home,” New York City. This particular show was that of a dream, according to Kraft, and the band was reality checking as they were on stage. The members of Coral Moons wanted to “remember this experience for all that it was because it was incredible.” Coral Moons’ performance at Bowery Ballroom, while amazing, was hardly their largest to come! I am personally excited for future releases, and will be the first to see them perform when they come back to NYC.
