When your friend tells you to go to a LAUNDRY DAY concert, you go to a LAUNDRY DAY concert, even if you have never heard of them before. This is just what Nina and I did, making the trek to Brooklyn one Sunday evening. We anxiously boarded the Q train, unsure of what we were walking into. See, this was no ordinary concert–organized by Kids Rock for Kids, the event was a fundraiser for Ukraine and homeless kids in New York, featuring teen bands and headlined by LD. I won’t detail the specifics of it– this is a concert review of Laundry Day after all– but picture a room full of kids aged eight 17, their parents, and two twenty-year-old girls from Manhattan at the back of the room trying not to stand out. As much as we support teeny boppers, we prefer to go to concerts where at least 75 percent of the audience has their driver's license. It was, however, some consolation that the boys of LD are the same age as us.

Now, the real reason we are here. In 2022, we vowed to support attainable artists. Sure, spending $200 to sit in the nosebleeds of Madison Square Garden is fun, but this year, we are seeking out the small venues, artists who are friends of a friend, and music that shocks you in new ways. This is exactly what LAUNDRY DAY is: with a sound like BROCKHAMPTON and a look reminiscent of the iconic Beastie Boys, they easily have the power to become your new obsession. The Manhattan-based band features Sawyer Nunes and Jude Ciulla on vocals, Henry Weingartner on guitar, Etai Abramovich on drums, and Henry Pearl on bass. Their latest album “We Switched Bodies” was produced by Kevin Abstract and Roil Hemnani, and besides embarking on their own North American tour, they have also hit the road with artists like The 1975 and Clairo. Despite their rapid rise to fame and associations with big names, their concert at The Roulette in Brooklyn felt down to earth and comfortable, as fostered by the small venue and relaxed atmosphere.

Throughout the concert, LD’s ability to command the crowd was truly respectable. They brought an energy that was tangible and totally unexpected for a Sunday night concert. Even the parents next to me were getting down to the wild beat of “Little Bird.” These boys also had endurance– I think it’s typical for artists these days to run through their setlist, exhausted and worn out by the end due to the fact that they haven’t been performing seriously since pre-pandemic. LD, however, kept their energy up the entire concert, mimicking the chaos and craze of their 15-year-old fans, which is not an easy feat.

Let’s get down to what you want to know: why we like Laundry Day. It’s not the fact that they all dress super well (which they do), it's not that we have crushes on everyone (we might), it's not the fact that Jude Ciulla kind of sounds like Ad Rock from the Beastie Boys when he does that whiny voice (he does!). Their music is addicting because of the undeniable and unbreakable friendship that underscores everything the band does. From their tangible bond on stage to their blend of talents that shine through in their music, LD is a band by friends for friends. This magazine was founded on that bond– we hope to celebrate the music, art, and culture that grew with us as we grew up together. We can’t help but support artists whose sound embodies the same thing that keeps our friendships alive.