Vagabon At the Mailroom
Last Saturday I was at the Mailroom, a lowkey bar on Wall Street that just opened up to intimate performances to small crowds. This night I went for Pancakes & Whiskey Presents which I figure to finally go to for once. The artist name: Vagabon aka Laetitia Tamko, a singer-songwriter from Cameroon now located in New York. I found out about Vagabon through Pancakes and Whiskey review page. I decided to give her a listen and be open minded to the music. One listen and I was hooked on the way to the Mailroom, I searched her Soundcloud and Spotify page and listen to the hypnotic vocals on tracks like Minneapolis and Mal A L'aise which seem like a soothing sensation for the ears. I kept most of the songs on repeat for the most part until it was time to see her perform. Of course I gotta thank the MTA for keeping trains local on the weekend otherwise I would be early(LOL) I got to the location which is a block away from South Street Seaport and inside a WeWork location. I went downstairs and noticed a bar and a great stage setup for the intimate performance. No barriers just instruments and some mics.
I got to witness the ambiance once I saw her on stage, not too many shining lights and phones taking flashes. It was unusual to go to a performance and not see no one pull out their phones so much. Everyone in the spot was vibing to the band for the majority of the show. No eyes dropping low to see the latest text or video. No talking while the performance was still going on. It was just sit or stand and listen for once which I hope more people was take heed to that statement because they never know what exactly to do during a set. Her set which was long at all but she packed in enough to flow seamless. She played a few songs from her debut "Infinite Worlds" and her EP from 2014. I felt like I was in a different time listening to the sounds like she came from a time where music wasn't so manufactured and the art was still there. We got to appreciate these musicians now and go to their shows instead of complaining about why today's music sucks. Vagabon aka Laetitia closed out the set in style and when the people wanted a encore she didn't do one. I always believe in leaving the people to want more. I didn't stay long once the performance was over. I left heading back into the subway humming the tunes and was grateful to witness art for a night.