Ray Bull @ Bluebird Theater
Ray bull x Babehoven
05.22.26
babehoven
Babehoven, a New York-based duo featuring Maya Bon (vocals and acoustic guitar) and Ryan Albert (electric guitar), though tour as a four-piece with the addition of a bassist and drummer, have a very dreamy, soft sound that opened the evening wonderfully. I am always personally impressed when a band can slot in an acoustic guitar as a staple sound alongside a full band, and Babehoven delivered by building their surrealist soundscape perfectly.
Their set opened with ‘Chariot’ that served as a dreamy, shoegazey, horse ride into the rest of the night with reverby chorused electric licks guiding the listener into Bon’s vocal delivery that gave the audience at the Bluebird Theatre a ride into a misty garden of folky reflection.
Ray Bull
Their set began with a wacky inflatable arm man. Flailing lonesomely on stage. It set the tone for the New York pop-rock duo, comprised of Tucker Elkins (guitar, keys, and vocals) and Aaron Graham (guitar and vocals) known for their comedic and artistic short-form social media content, who’ve been playing and filming a ‘Guess the Meow (celebrity impression edition)’ while on the road. It would only make sense that a wacky inflatable arm man acted as direct support for a few minutes before they took the stage.
I discovered Raybull about three years ago, around the time of their “A New Thing Dies” social media push, where the duo was uploading short hooks of their upcoming single, with cinematic, almost short-film-level direction. These clips captured the essence of isolation and stagnation within a relationship, perfectly reflected within the short clips of Elkins walking and singing, spliced throughout a cityscape. The duo's musical talent was also showcased around that time in their “These Songs Are The Same” series, where they often seamlessly mashed up two different songs. I remember discovering their mashup of The Temper Trap’s ‘Sweet Disposition’ and Grimes’ ‘Oblivion’ and knowing I had to keep an eye on this duo. They opened the night with ‘You’re Still Here, So Am I’ which also acts as the opener to their most recent album, “Please Stop Laughing” featuring a beautiful, dreamy-grungy-pop fusion of keys, guitar licks, and drums that sonically sets the tone for an evening of introspection.
