Arcy Drive
Arcy Drive brought their self-described “Attic Rock” sound to San Francisco on Monday night, delivering one of the first stops of their The Pit tour. Fresh off an Outside Lands set earlier this summer, the Northport, New York four-piece played to a sold-out crowd at The Independent in celebration of their first full-length album.
The tag “Attic Rock” goes back to their first release, Attic Sessions, recorded in a friend’s attic, and it still captures the raw, lived-in edge that defines their music. The band is made up longtime hometown friends and comprised of singer and guitarist Nick Mateyunas, bassist Pat Helrigel, guitarist Austin Jones, and drummer Brooke Tuozzo. Formed in 2022, they first cut their teeth during Covid, jamming in Brooke’s shed on Arcy Drive, the street that gave them their name.
The evening began with a special intimate VIP experience where the band played an acoustic set and chatted with fans. They spoke about everything from their roots, Brooke’s early start on drums in fourth grade, tales from the road, and their dreams of one day stepping onto stages like Red Rocks. They also reflected on their Outside Lands set, telling fans it “feels like yesterday,” a reminder of how quickly their momentum has been building. Nick explained the inspiration and origins behind some of their songs like “Louie,” written for his grandfather, and others like “Colorado Kyle” and “Orange,” drawn from road-trip tales and friendships. The stripped-down setting, as the band put it, felt almost meditative before the full show kicked off.
Foxtide from San Diego opened with a breezy, surf-leaning set that loosened up the crowd and set a bright tone before Arcy Drive stormed in to loud cheers.
They led with “Under the Rug,” the opening track from The Pit and a fitting choice to launch the night, before rolling through other hits from across their discography: “Smoke & Fire,” “The Itch,” “Superbloomer,” “Roll My Stone” and more. Midway through, they spotted a familiar fan from Outside Lands and invited her up during “They Don’t Dance.” She danced on stage with the band before leaping into the crowd and surfing across a sea of hands, one of the night’s most unforgettable highlights. Pat raised the stakes further, jumping down from the stage to play in the crowd and start a mosh pit during “Wicked Styley.”
A stripped-down performance of “Time Shrinks” with Brooke on vocals drew one of the loudest reactions of the night from the crowd. They closed with “What’s In My Head” and left the stage to chants of “One more song!” before returning to finish the night with “Louie.” With the backstory already shared earlier in the evening, the lyrics landed with even greater weight.
For a band that formed just a few years ago, Arcy Drive’s climb from attic recordings and house parties to festival spots and sold-out halls feels both meteoric and inevitable. Their live show makes it clear why the fanbase keeps growing, and one attendee leaving the venue put it best:
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a show with that kind of energy!”
