By: Emma Swope
Irish rock sensation Inhaler performed for an electric crowd at Pier 17 on Friday, October 17th, marking a high point in their 2024 North American tour. The show was relatively early in their tour, only the 6th out of 22 shows. As it was my second time seeing them, I had very high expectations, knowing just how incredible they sounded live. Yet, even though I was prepared, I still exited the show with my mouth agape and unable to say little but “God bless the Irish.”
The venue was unlike any I had been to before and added so much to the overall experience. The building is five stories high, with the stage on the very top floor (hence the name “the Rooftop”). The surrounding area is beautiful, with a dock full of boats in view and a collection of small stores. The inside of the building is fascinating too, with scenic bars and various food options. However, the best part of the experience was physically stepping onto the rooftop. From there, you could see the beautiful New York City skyline across the East River, which surrounds nearly the whole building. The Brooklyn Bridge sits behind the stage, creating a unique and unreplicable backdrop. The natural view, combined with the ambient lighting and curated vibe, made the Rooftop at Pier 17 my favorite concert venue I have ever set foot in.
The show started at 7:30 with Benches as the opener, a rock band from Southern California. The band has approximately 200k monthly listeners on Spotify –and for good reason. Their style is reminiscent of Inhaler and the Strokes, and they opened the show with great energy.
Inhaler came out shortly after, and stepped on stage to Henry Mancini’s angelic “Lujon.” After the beautiful instrumental finished, they immediately went into their first song “These Are The Days.” They played a couple more songs before eventually introducing themselves.
The show lasted nearly two hours, though I wouldn’t have minded if it had gone on even longer. The band played all their hits, some deep cuts, and even a new song “Your House,” which was released on the 29th of October. Hearing it live for the first time was incredibly exciting, and the song’s fun and catchy nature shows promising signs for a great next album.
The performance itself was incredibly well executed. I maintain that Inhaler is even better live– much thanks to those behind sound mixing and lighting. Lead vocalist Elijah Hewson is also an exceptional performer, hitting hard notes with ease and involving crowd members in the performance. The talent of the band and their team makes for an overall enjoyable and entertaining experience.
Comparing it to my original viewing, I liked it more the second time. The venue and seating contributed to this (high-up theater seating vs. almost front-row pit), but I also think they improved in the past year. I saw them for the first time on March 17, 2023, and I can say with confidence that their stage presence has improved significantly. However, both times were still incredibly entertaining.Inhaler is on the rise, and even though they deserve more attention, they still have not entered the mainstream level. I wholeheartedly believe that when more people discover their music and realize their ability to perform live, it will be more challenging and costly to see them in concert. I know this from experience. On my first viewing of the band live, I brought my friend who had never listened to their music. He came out of the concert speechless and listening to their (then) recently released album during the entire train ride home. To this day, he still refers to it as one of the best concerts he has ever been to. I strongly recommend anyone who is a fan of rock music, or music in general, to see them in concert if given the opportunity. And if you manage to get tickets, I would love to tag along for my third show!
