Written By: Mal Holmes
Photos By: Mal Holmes
The 2020s has seen a rampant expansion in internet-led artists (i.e. Lil Nax X, Olivia Rodrigo, Tai Verdes). However, this quick rise in popularity, while intoxicating, is exemplary “15 minutes of fame” stardom. The Brooklynn-based indie duo, Cafuné, could have been another example of this given their global TikTok hit, “Tek It”, however, the band’s catalogue and fan-dedication at the Masquerade on October 17th illustrated that this small band is headed for much greater things.
Singer-songwriter Sedona Schat and producer Noah Yoo make up the electropop band that is Cafuné. Seeing them perform live was exhilarating. As most smaller artists do, Cafuné understood the love of their fans. The house was packed, loud, and energetic. Within a tight 60 minutes, they performed mainly from their new album, Bite Reality, with some standout favorites from their previous albums, Running and Love Songs For the End.
The beauty of Bite Reality is that it delivers true artistic vision. The opening track, “The Moment” feels like a proper intro song. It lays the groundwork for the band’s mental state with this album. It also provides a clear entree way for the concert. The second song of the set, “e-Asphyxiation” is my personal favorite off of the new album. From the literal of online/phone addiction to the metaphorical of chasing vices without finding longer-lasting solutions to problems, this song helps showcase the unique marvel of this band – poignant lyricism with a dreampop sound that makes the music feel like a hard-hitting drug. From here, the band returned to Running and Love Songs For the End before incorporating more of Bite Reality.
Sedona serves as the lead singer of the band while Noah adds backing vocals and lead guitar. Sedona’s voice live is ethereal and enchanting. She holds true power and confidence while on stage. Her and Noah have so much chemistry; it is obvious that they are close friends having fun making music together. Now, this could be my own bias for guitarists, but watching Noah perform that night was electrifying. Every song was more energetic than the last. He held a smile the whole time and jumped around as much as he could; it was as if watching a kid play music for the first time and feeling the magic that comes from it. Sedona understood this and made an effort to be in the crowd when the song allowed. At the very end of the show, she even grabbed a fan’s vinyl to sign, which may have been my favorite moment of the show.
While I may be a relatively new fan of Cafuné, with the exception of a few of their hits, this show made me fall in love with the band in a whole new way. They are much more than a simple indie band. They have so much love for what they are doing. It is difficult to know where the success of their career may go, but nonetheless, they are starting off strong. 10-15 years is the average range of bands seeking success and notoriety. It takes time to find a band’s sound, style, and flow. However, Cafuné seems to have a clear grasp on what they want and where they want to go. Their clear artistic vision sets them up for being a band with a fruitful career ahead; a band who will go on to be more than a single TikTok hitmaker.
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