Photos/Review: Pelican @ NYC's The Meadows on 7/20/2025

It’s hard to talk about instrumental music without mentioning post-metal icons Pelican. Over their nearly 25-year career, the group has become famous for their crushing live performances and solid discography of music. Their latest record, Flickering Resonance, dropped earlier this year and sees their original lineup back together for the first time in almost a decade. The band is on the road this month in support of the album while en-route to an appearance at this year’s Post Festival. Their run of shows included a stop at The Meadows in NYC on Sunday, July 20, 2025, with tour mates Porcelain and local support act Couch Slut.

The evening began with a set from genre-bending outfit Porcelain. Mixing together influences from shoegaze, noise-rock, and post-hardcore, the group dove headfirst into a rapid-fire eight-song set. Twangy, distorted guitars playing dissonant riffs underscored the sweetly shouting vocals delivered by their two guitarists. Crunchy bass added a kick of low end, while drums kept impeccable time throughout the swells of gain-heavy tones. One of the set’s highlights was a building instrumental jam near the end of the set, during which all the band members circled the drummer and jammed out together. Not much was said between songs, as the musicians filled the space with ambient chords and short instrumental fills as segues into the next track. “We’re Porcelain. Stick around for an awesome night of music. Thank you again to Pelican for having us out with them” said guitarist/vocalist Steve Pike after their last song.

Porcelain

Photo Credit: Kyle Ostrander

Second on the bill were local NYC noise-rockers Couch Slut. “We only want red lights on stage. Nothing else, please!” said the band’s vocalist, Megan Osztrosits, as they took the stage. This turned out to be the right choice, as the saturated red hues perfectly complemented the set’s raw DIY vibe. From the very first song, a barrage of dissonant riffs glued together by fuzzed-out bass and pounding drums pulled the room into a trance. Osztrosits immediately began swinging around her mic while leaning over the edge of the stage to deliver guttural vocal screams. The crowd pushed closer and closer to the front of the room, wanting to absorb all of the fervor emanating from the music’s beautifully chaotic aurora. Perfectly juxtaposing the intensity of the group’s performance was the humor they brought. “This next song is a love song…about my love for my favorite bar. Catch me there right after our set! Or maybe even during it!” joked the band before delivering another gripping, emotionally unfiltered song. The 40 minute set was partially made up on-the-fly, with the group picking several tracks in the moment to match the energy of the room. “It’s so great to be playing a local show in Brooklyn again! We love you all very much!” exclaimed Osztrosits towards the end of Couch Slut’s set.

Couch Slut

Photo Credit: Kyle Ostrander

Rounding out the night were the evening’s headliners, Pelican. As soon as the band started loading their gear on stage, the crowd began cheering and shouting in excitement. “We missed you, Pelican! It’s been too long! We need you!” shouted an elated fan. The large room was packed wall to wall with fans, some even spilling into the venue’s merch area to get a view of the stage. The moment all the guitar cables were plugged in and the final cymbal set up, Pelican wasted no time immediately punching on their overdrive pedals and running full speed into their first track, “Gulch”. The quick and punchy tune had everyone in the room throwing their hands up, headbanging to the powerful drums and thunderous bass. Without taking a moment for air, the quartet jumped right into “Cascading Crescent”, followed by “Pining For Ever”. All three tracks were cut from their previously mentioned new album. The 60-minute set pulled from a range of Pelican’s discography, including the very sludgey “Drought” and fan favorite “The Creeper”.

What stood out most during the set was the band’s consistency. Whether playing a relatively new track or revisiting an old favorite, every note was delivered with the precision and confidence of seasoned musicians. Even more impressive was the fact this technical tightness remained intact as the members moved nonstop on stage, swinging their instruments, and swaying with the music’s dynamics, all without missing a beat. “I can’t believe it’s been six years since we last played NYC!” remarked guitarist Trevor de Brauw. “What I love the most about this city is that no matter how crazy the world is, music scenes like this still exist where everyone is welcome, and we can all support each other. Thank you again for coming out tonight, and for making an amazing scene like this still exist. We’ve got one more song for you.” said the guitarist in appreciation before closing the show with “Wandering Mind”.

Pelican and Porcelain continue their tour together through July 26, after which Pelican heads out for a UK/EU tour in August, and Porcelain plays a spot in November at Levitation Fest.