Grace Gardner’s Back in New York City, But This Time In Brooklyn

Gardner opened up the night for Eliza and the Delusionals at Brooklyn’s Sultan Room to close out the first half of the Delusionals’ tour, just a few months after Gardner visited Manhattan’s Mercury Lounge for their own run.

PHOTOS BY EMMA FISCHER

The alternative music scene necessitates watching artists perform more than once. The venues these artists frequent are often passed off from one night to the next, so many musicians share stages with their peers, and sometimes back-to-back. Saturday, May 31, was my second time watching Grace Gardner perform. This time I saw them at the Sultan Room, the night after I watched Jillian Dawn sing on Sultan’s rooftop.

The Sultan specializes in creating a warm, close-knit community for its shows. The stage gives the room its shape, with the bar, the seating and the central banister facing it. Behind the stage, triangular panels all meet at a central point. Backed by a white wall, the triangles vary in design: multiple small and large white circles, black and partially opaque, and empty. LED strip lights outline some of the triangles, and multiple other lighting sources bounce through the circles, onto the white wall, and through portions of open space. The continuation of changing colors and places for the light to shine creates a kaleidoscope effect for the audience the moment they enter the room. 

This performance was different from the first time I saw Gardner because they were opening up the night rather than headlining their own tour. Despite the acoustic set and shorter set time, Gardener still played a memorable collection of songs that spoke to their talents as a musician. With no band to accompany them, Gardner relied completely on their vocals and acoustic guitar to draw the attention of the crowd. 

First on Gardner's set list at Sultan was “Firing Sideways,” a song I heard Gardner play at the Mercury Lounge in February. The recorded version of ‘Firing Sideways’ has a minimal arrangement, so it was easily transferred to Gardner’s solo performance. My favorite part of the track is the repeating chord progression Gardner uses throughout the verses. At some points, the guitar blends with Gardner’s voice so well it can’t be heard at all. 

The same was true on stage, the first verse being the most memorable for me. I happen to love lyrics that include unexplained names, I find them personable and charming. It’s like I’m listening to a voice memo from a friend who assumes I know who they’d be talking about. In ‘Firing Sideways,” the first verse sings:

I mentioned you to Jack

Who mentioned you to Taylor

They didn't have your name

On the guest list at the Empire

You swore you'd done me a favor

Gardner explained to the audience that creating ‘Firing Sideways’ helped expand their knowledge of producing an album. Both Gardner’s December 2024 album After Knowing, which includes ‘Firing Sideways,’ and the February 2024 album Recovery Mile were self-produced. With the help of co-producer Lonnie Davie, Gardner’s close friend and guitar player on the After Knowing Tour, both albums assisted Gardner in becoming a better producer. 

Davis actually accompanied Gardner on this run with Eliza and the Delusionals. He played on stage with Gardner at a few stops on the tour, but not the Brooklyn show at the Sultan. Gardner played with the Delusionals at all of their North American shows, stopping in San Francisco, Fort Worth, Washington D.C. and many places in between. The tour reached 24 cities, including stops in Canada like Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. 

Gardner’s third song on the Brooklyn set list, ‘Something You’re Proud Of (Crime Television),’ was also one of my favorites. Similar to ‘Firing Sideways,’ the composition is simple and guitar-led, with Gardner’s vocals setting the pace. The instrumental seems to be written to cradle the softness and delicacy of their voice, protecting it from being overshadowed. One of the reasons the track bears the title is in the first verse, 

I see you on crime television

Always doing your killing

Under the nose of the suckers who love you most

You credit all of your losses to hubris

On stage, Gardner shared another reason for the title. After one of their previous relationships ended, Gardner felt guilty for not noticing signs of toxicity earlier on. The rose-colored glasses are quickly thrown when a connection fizzles out, and the realizations of moments you may have missed are hard to process. Relatedly, when Gardner was watching one of their favorite detective shows, Monk, they noticed that Monk constantly blamed himself for not being able to find clues and solve the cases sooner. Gardner found comfort in knowing one of their favorite characters shared in the same struggles, and aptly included a reference in the song title.

Gardner’s set was demonstrative in their ability to connect with an audience just through their songwriting. The stripped-down show allowed the audience to see a softer side of Gardner, and I know we all appreciated their vulnerability. 

Up next for Gardner, they will be opening up for Catie Turner (another Pleaser favorite) on her three show tour this October in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The Philadelphia show is at the Philadelphia Music Festival, where Gardner is also performing their own show. A busy month for Gardner, but we can’t wait!