Show Review - Boojum 3/13/25 New York, NY
Watch Your Back
Brooklyn-based theatrical jamband Boojum took over Arlene’s Grocery in NYC last night for a fantastic show that showcased their strong compositions and original material blended with each musician’s improvisational instincts and playing.
Boojum was formed in late 2023 after a special Alice in Wonderland-themed jam show at Brooklyn Bowl and consists of guitarists Chris Mackin and Josh Santiago, bassist Sarah Elaz, and drummer Mike Coiro. All four musicians had just performed at Wednesday’s Bushwick’s Dead show and rode the high of that performance through last night.
Local artist Leanne Gallati got the show started at Arlene’s, her opening set showed off her powerful voice along with a razor-sharp backing band that had me pleasantly surprised at the clarity of sound in the small room.
Boojum took the stage just after 9pm for a condensed 90-minute set featuring all the hits – or “pre-2025 Boojum,” as the band noted in between songs. “Bandersnatch” got things underway with some vicious slap work from Elaz underneath beautifully-connected guitar work from both Mackin and Santiago before the band transitioned into “Pig Baby.”
One of the coolest things about this band is that pretty much every song in the Boojum catalog has at least one line of lyrics or a musical hook that will get stuck in your head, and “Pig Baby” is the one that has popped up the most for me. Mackin shone on a guitar-led jam on this track as the band continued with a funk theme through “Cheshire Cat.”
Welcoming Gallati back to the stage to lend vocals to “When Suddenly, Thump,” Boojum embarked on the most adventurous jam of the night, Coiro pushing the rest of the band with an insistent beat as Elaz went over to stand between the two guitarists to trade riffs with Santiago. The two guitarists, well-practiced as Grateful Dead cover bandmates, shared leads among this section as Boojum brought “Thump” to a fantastic conclusion.
“Step Into” offered an upbeat vibe with more bright guitar work before segueing into the calming intro of “Pass Through.” Showing off their prowess at blending genres, this classic rock-sounding track had some spellbinding guitar work from Santiago within before heading into “The Mouse” to close.
While the lyrical hook of “Pig Baby” is the one that has stuck in my head the most, the synth-effected bass riff of “The Mouse” jam (otherwise known as “The Way Out”) is probably my favourite piece of Boojum composition and Elaz had the underground venue vibrating through this final track of the night, leading the band through an ascending “Heartbreaker”-like progression to close the set on a high note.
Big things are on the horizon for Boojum as they prepare to release their second studio effort in the coming months and are performing at Valley Craft Ales’ Beer Fest in Vermont next weekend!
