Freelance Whales

I would have given this 5 stars except that the event said doors opened at 8 p.m. but music didn't start until 9 and Freelance Whales didn't take the stage until about 11:10. Maybe that's par for the course at this venue, but I didn't expect to wait 3+ hours to see my favorite band. That said, I was right up front. Chuck Criss was practically sweating on me. :)

The band was amazing, I can't wait for their return at a larger venue!!! If you want to experience raw talent live then you need to find the opportunity to see Freelance Whales!

The wait was too long but it was worth it. Freelance Whales is awesome and the band members are friendly. The opening bands, Il Abanico and Hundred Waters were great too, totally did not expect that, so it was all good that night.

I hadn't heard too much of the new album but LOVED Weathervanes... I was a bit worried that the set would be 90% new material since so many bands take that route when promoting a fresh release. I was really pleased at the blend of new and old material. They kept a really well balanced set and as always, their performance was on point. These guys have so much fun on stage, it's infectious.

While Freelance Whales has a clean and developed sound, it is already falling into the predictable realm of the indie scene. Nothing to write home about, except for 'Broken Horses.' However, Hundred Waters, one of the two openers that night, definitely stole the show. The ethereal voices of the two female vocals was unique and enthralling. Their quirky sound and at times syncopated beats made it for a very interesting night. Check 'em out.

Couldn't have had a better time, music was beautifully performed. Talent is unbelievable. Doris let me and another girl play her accordion during generator 1^floor. Such a thrill! Amazing band, will definitely see again!

I've been to a whole lot of concerts, in lots of different types of venues, and this stood out as one of the best. It was my third time seeing the Whales, once at an instore appearance, once at a music festival, and they always deliver. The Paradise Rock Club was a fantastic venue, we were front row and like could touch the stage; it was amazing. It has great acoustics, and being that close to the band provides a real intimacy. We got to meet them afterwards too, which is always fun! Such a talented band, with a great stage prescence and energy, and a real talent for being able to play so many instruments so well. 10/10 would see again and again and again.

Geographer was incredible live and the Freelance whales was just amazing

The opening two bands (Conveyor and Geographer) were so so; It was a little difficult to hear their singing over the instruments. But the Freelance Whales were great. They interacted well with the audience and sounded fantastic.

I hadn't been to the Mezzanine before, but the decor was pleasant and the ambiance was good. Georgrapher, a local band from the area, opened. They came on stage a half hour later, but they had good energy. There was a delay between, where Geographer and Freelance Whales switched out, and then FREELANCE WHALES!!! The lyrics are crazy and all over the place, but that was fine. I love how they have a plethora of instruments and pieces to their group. There was a guy wearing an aquamarine shirt with pink flamingos on it and I think he's new, but I couldn't hear clearly, still rocked the guitar on certain parts. Judah was great on lead, Doris was amazing, and Chuck, Kevin and Jacob were having fun on stage. Honestly, I don't know all of their songs, like I should, like a good hipster, but the atmosphere of their show was fantastic!

The music was perfect. The venue was nice, the staff was professional - we had a lovely time. Freelance Whales was everything I had hoped for.

Absolutely incredible. They are all supremely talented musicians and would switch instruments constantly on stage. A+++++++++++++ concert experience.

This was an amazing show, tons of energy even during the more slow-tempo songs, and Geographer really has a way of getting the crowd going. The lights and the deco were sick. Gotta see them again, and this was my first time at Mezzanine - a large club-like event space, kinda hot, but I'm definitely going back.

Originally bought the ticket for Geographer -- of which I'm a big fan. Studied up on Freelance Whales pre-concert and found that I like them almost as much. Can't believe I got to see them TOGETHER for $20. RIDICULOUS. So much energy! So much stage presence. Yeah, Geographer is awesome (I just assume this as a given) -- but Freelance Whales were so fun and talented, too! Was cool to see the band members switch off on instruments (everyone plays everything). Both bands opened/closed on my two favorite songs.

The show was amazing! The band put out such a positive energy and everyone in the room was totally just dancing and having fun. As the opening band put it, "If you wanna just totally let go, now's the time. No one will make fun of you here." Can't wait for Freelance Whales to come to town again

It was my first time seeing the Freelance Whales. I must say that I loved every second of it. They were so different and so talented. I was so impressed how each band member switched around and played various instruments in every song. Quite rare. I am a lifetime fan!

My friends and I didn't even stay for the show because once we arrived and used our tickets we were informed that the set time for the Freelance Whales was actually 11:00, a full 3 hours later than the scheduled time. None of us are naive and understand the venue's need to sell drinks, but putting two crappy bands on at 9 and 10 and then pushing the actual show by that long and not allowing reentry is just absurd and a ripoff.

I thought there did not need to be two opening acts that made the event a little long and that meant I could not watch as much of the main act. I appreciated the lounge area, where people can wait until the main act goes up to perform. The venue was great, the performance was amazing, the audience was good, I enjoyed the event. The only thing in regards to the main act I would critique, was I wish Freelance Whales had played this one song from the Weathervanes album, Kilojoules.

Awesome band!! Really enjoyed this show. Will definitely go to see them again.

nice mosic nice profamence exalent band i will go again

How rare is it these days to have the opportunity to experience a band that is even more remarkable live than on their album? Listening to Weathervanes is a regular occurrence in my household -- their sounds is both smooth and raw at the same time. The performance was in perfect sync, enlivening, and skilled. The show was fantastic.

Freelance Whales was amazing, they are great in person, and very entertaining. Webster Hall is a cool venue, but I think the sound wasn't balanced very well.

First heard about/saw Freelance Whales on a YouTube video one of my friends posted on Facebook. Looked up a few more videos on YouTube, liked what I heard so I bought the Album off ITunes. Started listening to it, couldn't stop listening to it! thought the music was very unique and original and would sound absolutely great LIVE! so looked for tickets on ticketmaster, found them, bought them, and HAD A BLAST AT THE SHOW. Will DEF be back for more concerts in the future. I also loved some of the new songs the band played at their show, looking very much forward to the new album. I love that the music is being recognized as fantastic but didn't at all like it when I was watching TV today and heard the instrumentals from a song (i think Hanna) in a Chevy commercial!! BOO chevy, but kinda cool that they're already being recognized for being so great! The first opening act...Alex and the Sister Wives...I felt like I was watching a high school band! not impressed. although there were a few cute girls in the band! and the keyboardist had a hilarious look on his face the entire set so that was entertaining. As for Miniature Tigers. aahhhhhhh eehhhhhhhh..... I def really liked some of their songs...but others I didn't at all....I'd say a solid C+ band.

Freelance Whales put on a great performance! They have quite the talent, with instruments varying from your typical guitar to a glockenspiel to a mandolin: all of which culminate in a dreamy, unique and great sound. They were personable and did their best to put on a superb performance (which they succeeded in doing). Cannot wait for their next release!

Freelance Whales were amazing. Their concert was a spiritual experience.

The upcoming indie rock band Freelance Whales have really made a name for themselves in the past year. They released a really good album, opened for some well known bands and are now getting well known themselves. The show at Mohawk Place was really good. I really enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect, but it was definitely worth seeing them again, after they opened for Tokyo Police Club back in July.

Went with 4 friends to this concert. Only 3 of us had tickets, so we stood outside for two hours until we found two different people with extra tickets. Once we were inside, the show started within a half hour, and they were great. We couldnt see the band directly, but the moniters showed them clearly, which was nice. Great show.

great original band everyone seemed to enjoy, it was hard to get a decent view in the basement but it was pretty intimate.

Freelance Whales is the sweetest band I've seen in a while. They played all their songs (and a couple new ones), and encored with "Broken Horse," which was awesome. They stayed really energetic throughout the set, and you could really see the emotion in play. It was so cool to watch them all switch instruments with one another after each song, and even just the variety of obscure instruments was impressive. After the show, the band dispersed into the venue and I found Doris and Jonah, and they were so down-to-earth and friendly. You could actually have a conversation with them.

The Freelance Whales are awesome. The concert itself was probably awesome, however, I wouldn't know because I never actually saw the band. I could hear the band, sort of, but I could not see them. The Basement, where the concert was held, is literally a basement. The basement in my home is nearly as big as the venue. If the band were a little-known act, and the audience small, it would probably be an enjoyable experience. However, The Basement, sold out to full capacity, probably as stated by the fire marshall, and it was so crowded that we couldn't see the Freelance Whales. We ended-up watching it on the closed-circuit TV at the bar. The stage is set-up in a stupid manner so that maybe 75 people, maybe, can actually stand near it. Everyone else has to stand around the outer perimeters of the stage and if it's crowded, and you're short, you may as well forget about actually seeing anything. Plus, the way the sound system is set-up, it directs the sound into the crowd standing directly in front of the stage and it's completely absorbed. It's the only concert I've ever been to where I couldn't hear the music or audio. It was truly a miserable experience and I will never, ever, go back to The Basement again. I had been looking forward to this concert for a long, long time and it was hugely disappointing. From what I could see on the TV, and hear from my perch at the bar, it was a great show for those that could see the band. The rest of us, and there were A LOT of us, sort of hung around until the end, drinking overpriced sub-par Budweiser products for lack of anything better to do. I love the Freelance Whales and will try to see them some other time to finally experience them in concert. Just for the record, we arrived two and a half hours before the concert started and still couldn't get a decent spot to watch, if that tells you anything.

The Miniature Tigers' bus broke down so it was only the Freelance Whales. I feel like i paid too much money to only see one band play. Freelance was good but not worth $20 for a solo show.

GREAT SHOW! the opening band couldn't make it due to car trouble but Doris from Freelance came out and performed some solo songs and they were fantastic! Freelance has a great stage presence and put on a great show for audiences. They seem like such great down-to-earth people and i can't wait for more music and shows from them!

I've never been to a worse small-show venue and will probably not go back. Not only was the stage and immediate viewing area grossly inadequate for such a good band, the huge columns around the stage completely obstructed most other viewing points and the sound system at the back of the house was awful. So that if you weren't able to see the stage, you were also subject to poor sound, which made the band sound bad. We left after two songs. Not to mention, we were very excited to see Miniature Tigers, who didn't show up. Sorry Freelance Whales - you're a great band. I wouldn't play there ever again, if I were you guys. Or I guess I'm requesting that you never play there again! It was an expensive ticket not to have seen the show.