Words by Piper Toohey Olsen. Photos above by Nihiloceros.
[Editor’s note: This is Piper’s second piece for The Deli meaning that they have not been fully brainwashed yet and thus were able to review The Deli’s 20TH DELIVERSARY CELEBRATION & MUSICAL SHOWCASE at Arlene’s Grocery with some degree of journalistic objectivity or so we’d like to think but either way we’ll take a compliment however we can get it…]
Saturday December 14th was a night for the books, but I’m not saying it’s because of SantaCon. Dozens of loyal Deli Mag enjoyers gathered at Arlene’s Grocery for a celebratory milestone: 20 years of independent music journalism!
This accomplishment speaks to The Deli magazine’s irreplaceable role in the NYC indie music ecosystem. Print or digital, budget or no budget, real Deliheads have been riding along for years if not decades and were thus willing to elbow their way through crowds of drunk Santas just to partake in the revelry.
Birthdays are a time for celebrating the past, but also looking to the future. At 20 years old, most of us are just starting to figure out who we are. Deli Mag on the other hand has established a strong sense of self, a community—a simple but necessary goal. In the next 20 years, who knows! Perhaps it will rent a shitty van and go on tour.
Kicking off the night was Astoria’s own DIgamY. David Guevara, friend of the Mag, powered through the freezing cold temps in Bowery to shred for this auspicious occasion. His fingers may have suffered, but we reaped the rewards. In between songs he regaled us with stories of reading the Deli in print form before he was old enough to enter most of the venues listed in the darn thing.
Photos of DIgamY by DozenFingers Photography
“Feed me!” Guevara sings, but it’s us who were fed this evening. A feast for the ears.
Opera, whose set I felt vibrating in my shoes and skull, took the stage next. Lead singer Hannah Deerinwater wore, somewhat regrettably, an all-red ensemble and as a result was forced to defend herself against SantaCon allegations. She forgot the holiday even existed and hey shouldn’t we all be so lucky!
Opera played songs from their 2024 EP Fatal Paradise. On my personal favorite song, “Motorcycle Man,” they sing about being a “trophy wife” to a… ghost? Of a motorcyclist? And that’s what music is all about.
Photos of Opera by podglorious
I have to say, for how much belting and rocking out was packed into one night, there was a tender reprieve in a brief interlude of Tits Dick Ass where Julia Pierce took a song solo. It hit hard to hear the unreleased song nestled into an otherwise full-throttle set. While single “GF from Hell” is their only released track, I’m looking forward to the LP Fuck coming 2025.
Photos of TDA by Adam Saifer
Photos of The Dutch Kills by Adam Saifer
Capping off the night, The Dutch Kills took it away with their recently released song “Ew!” serving gravelly vocals and sincere blasé. The first song rocked so hard that their guitarist snapped a string! Thanks to an assist from Opera’s Emma Swingle, the show continued. Lead singer Julia Kley launched into an unreleased ballad about her friend Molly, who apparently screams. I was like girl, you are also screaming. And it sounds awesome! Maybe that’s why they are friends.
Notably, not a single act sang “Happy Birthday.”
In all transparency, this was my first time visiting Arlene’s, and my first time seeing every single band that played. The vibes were immaculate. The crowd was made up of punks of all ages, co-mingling with joy and ease. I forget how nice everyone can be in these small venues–genuinely just there to enjoy the music and the company. I wouldn’t want to spend my Saturday night anywhere else. Even though I didn’t win the reindeer onesie in the raffle.
Photos by Nihiloceros