NYC concert round-up: December 2024
Here’s the scoop on five of the best live music shows this month featuring incredible women and activist artists, epic nights out, and an escape from the stress of finals.
Photography by Abigail Rabbitt/The Barnard Bulletin
By Sasha Celico
December 2, 2024
As we close out the year and Spotify Wrapped gets released, there’s no better time to take a break from finals and holiday prep with a night out immersed in live music. December’s concert scene in New York City offers a lineup as dynamic as the season itself, with everything from holiday-inspired charity events to groundbreaking electronic sets and intimate indie shows. This month’s concert picks highlight rising and established artists alike, emphasizing unique live shows, artists using their platform to support important causes, and the incredible contributions of women in music.
Whether you’re craving nostalgia from the Indigo Girls, a fresh discovery like Freak Slug, or an electrifying DJ set by LP Giobbi, there will definitely be something here to brighten your study slump, each under $70 and within an hour of campus. As a concert rat and music industry intern, I’m excited to share my top concert recommendations for December. Let’s end the year on a high note, literally.
Date: December 4, 2024
Venue: St. George Theatre
GA Ticket Price: $51.20
Travel time from campus: 45 minutes
Age restrictions: N/A
Few musical acts encapsulate the spirit of Barnard quite like the Indigo Girls. This iconic folk-rock duo, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, met in elementary school in Georgia and have been inseparable ever since. Beyond their musical brilliance, they are queer icons and champions for social justice, passionately advocating for causes like climate action, women’s rights, and the rights of Indigenous peoples.
Their breakout album, “Strange Fire,” debuted in 1987, but their follow-up, “Indigo Girls,” shaped the soundtrack of generations. Lucia Link (BC ’26) shares that her mother, a Bryn Mawr alumna, listened to them during her college years. “She told me about singing ‘Closer to Fine’ during jam sessions on the steps with her friends and insisted I listen with her when I was growing up,” says Link. For her, the Indigo Girls represent a deep bond with her mom and their shared experience as part of the Seven Sisters legacy.
Expect this concert to be a night of lively, uplifting energy. With their raw, emotional storytelling, the Indigo Girls’ music takes on even greater power live. While they are sometimes considered a “legacy act” in the industry, their relevance and relatability endure, making them as impactful today as they were in the ’90s.
Whether you are craving a musical escape or planning an epic girls’ night, this show will be a perfect dose of nostalgia, connection, and pure joy.
Date: December 7, 2024
Venue: Baby’s All Right
GA Ticket Price: $22.17
Travel time from campus: 50 minutes
Age restrictions: 18+
If you're looking for a laid-back, effortlessly cool concert to celebrate the final full week of classes, Freak Slug’s show at Baby’s All Right is a must. Known for its intimate vibe, great food and drinks, and lineup of emerging artists, Baby’s is one of Brooklyn’s most beloved venues for discovering new talent.
Freak Slug is the stage name of Xenya Genovese, an indie bedroom-pop artist hailing from Manchester. Her music is the perfect mix of quirky and cool, with a warm, feminine charm that sets her apart. Think Tame Impala meets Still Woozy but with an inviting softness all her own. If you're new to her music, start with her 2020 single “Radio.” Her latest album “I Blow Out Big Candles” is radio or top 100 quality and will translate to a very lively pop-rock live show.
Beyond her sonic artistry, Genovese is also a painter, visual artist, and videographer, a multifaceted background that shines through in her unique self-made music videos. Raw yet beautiful, they perfectly complement her dreamy sound.
This show promises to be the quintessential cool-girl Saturday night in Brooklyn — intimate, artsy, and filled with good vibes. Can't make it? Add her tracks to your lofi-pop study playlist for a chill alternative. Either way, Freak Slug deserves a spot on your radar.
Date: December 12, 2024
Venue: the Brooklyn Paramount
GA Ticket Price: $64
Travel time from campus: 45 minutes
Age restrictions: N/A
Are you into indie, folk, and granola vibes? Dreaming of a one-of-a-kind, affordable benefit concert featuring your favorite artists, all for a good cause? Whale Jam 2024 is your answer. Hosted by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, this annual charity winter concert raises awareness for the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, blending great music with a powerful message.
This year’s lineup is stacked with talent: Matt Quinn (Mt. Joy), Ela Melo (Rainbow Kitten Surprise), Sameer Gadhia (Young the Giant), Clyde and Gracie Lawrence (Lawrence), Bear Rinehart (NEEDTOBREATHE), Brandon Coleman (The Red Clay Strays), and Yoke Lore. You can also expect surprise guests to join this already star-studded bill. It’s a rare chance to see these artists perform in an unrehearsed, collaborative setting.
What makes Whale Jam special isn’t just the music. It’s a night where you’ll be surrounded by fellow advocates for animal rights and environmental protection. Watching these artists use their platforms to support the health of our oceans speaks volumes about their character, far more than any Instagram post or headline ever could.
Whether you’re a diehard fan of the lineup or simply looking for a fun night, Whale Jam is a concert that delivers both meaningful impact and incredible music.
LP Giobbi’s “Way Back Home Tour”
Date: December 13, 2024
Venue: The Great Hall in the Round at Avant Gardner
GA Ticket Price: $56.19
Travel time from campus: 45 minutes
Age restrictions: N/A
If you’re into electronic music, Avant Gardner is the ultimate spot, and LP Giobbi’s upcoming in-the-round DJ set at The Great Hall is sure to be the standout electronic show of December. Known for its iconic Mirage stage with a wrap-around video wall, Avant Gardner’s indoor space delivers an equally immersive and high-energy experience. It is the perfect setting for LP Giobbi’s electrifying finale to her “Way Back Home Tour.”
Leah Chisholm, better known as LP Giobbi, combines her background as a classically trained jazz pianist from UC Berkeley with her love of electronic music, resulting in a sound that’s euphoric, eclectic, and totally unique. Before headlining this tour, she opened for Sofi Tukker, and her music shares their playful, upbeat, and danceable vibe.
Beyond her DJing, Chisholm is a co-founder of FEMME HOUSE, a non-profit dedicated to creating equitable opportunities in the music industry for women, BIPOC, and queer individuals. Through free music production courses and festival panels, she’s transforming the industry while inspiring the next generation of creators.
Paloma La Valley (BC ’25) sums LP Giobbi up perfectly: “She’s in my soft, groovy house playlist!” While she can’t attend the show, she highly recommends “Feels Just Like It” and predicts the set will have “perfect vibes.”
Don’t miss this unforgettable night of dancing and incredible music. If LP Giobbi inspires you, check out FEMME HOUSE for opportunities to learn about music production and the industry.
Date: December 14 - 16, 2024
Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
GA Ticket Price: $39
Travel time from campus: 45 minutes
Age restrictions: 18+
Zaho de Sagazan is an artist who truly defies categorization, seamlessly blending pop, rock, and classical influences into a breathtaking musical experience. Her upcoming show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg promises to be an elegant, moving performance that will leave you in awe of her immense talent. The intimate setting of this venue is perfectly suited to her emotionally rich, encompassing sound, making it more than worth the trip from campus.
This French sensation has achieved remarkable success at just 24 years old. Born into an artistic family in Saint-Nazaire, France, de Sagazan grew up as a dancer before turning to music. She first gained recognition on Instagram in 2015, where she shared videos covering songs and showcasing her own works. This past year has been monumental in her career: she opened the Cannes Film Festival with a haunting rendition of David Bowie’s “Modern Love” (a performance for Barnard’s own Greta Gerwig) and closed the Olympics with “Sous le ciel de Paris,” accompanied by the choir of the Académie Haendel-Hendrix.
Amanda Fernandez Del Viso (BC ‘26), who introduced me to de Sagazan's music, describes her work beautifully. “Her cover of ‘Modern Love’ by David Bowie is honestly one of the best things I've heard this year,” she said. “It’s melancholic yet still retains the fun vibe of the original in a way that’s so, so perfect.” Fernandez Del Viso looks forward to seeing Zaho perform in December, sharing, “I'm even more excited to go now since my friend just saw her in France and said it's one of the best concerts she's ever been to!”
While her shows in New York have sold out, this is one event worth the resale ticket splurge. Watching Zaho de Sagazan live is an unforgettable experience, as she effortlessly channels deep emotion and technical mastery. Whether you’re a longtime fan of French music or simply curious to discover a rising international star, this is a rare opportunity to witness an artist on the brink of global acclaim.
___
If you attend one of these shows, add an artist to your playlists, or have concert recommendations for January, I’d love to hear from you at bulletinedboard@gmail.com!