Velvet Rouge Owned the Stage at Rockwood Music Hall

Velvet Rouge at Rockwood Music Hall | Photo by Alicia Lenea

The opinions reflected in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, faculty and students of The King's College.

The four-person rock band Velvet Rouge performed nine original songs at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side on Saturday, Feb. 25. 

Velvet Rouge is from Philadelphia with lead singer and guitarist Gina Zo, lead guitarist Joe McEnany, bassist Andrew Amado and drummer Buddy Mazzenga. 

Gina Zo | Photo by Alicia Lenea

“This is only our second time playing in New York,” Zo told the crowd before beginning their performance.

Velvet Rouge was one of many bands that played at Rockwood Music Hall Saturday night. From 8 pm to 8:45 pm, they played “Save Me,” “Cry,” “Fire in the Building,” “Ocean Size,”  “15th Street,” and three other songs not yet released on Spotify. 

Above Mazzenga, the DJ sat in a sound control booth directly above the doorway. 

Zo and her band took the stage wearing vibrant outfits. At first, Zo had trouble with the mic, but her ease on the stage made up for it. She wore a red long sleeve sheer top and vintage oversized pants with flowers all over them. 

“The dark glow is creeping in,” sang Zo as McEnany strummed away on the strings to the tune of their song “Save Me.” At first, the song was soft with a delicate rhythm. The audience could hear each chord McEnany played on his white and turquoise guitar. The beat of the drums faded in the background as McEnany played the chords softly and Zo sang with the tune. The drummer then picked up the pace, and the beat grew louder and quicker. Zo sang through the beat, making her voice known. 

“Now we gotta sing about burning our ex’s house down. How does that sound?” Zo asked the crowd before singing “Fire in the Building.” 

Later on,  Zo picked up a red acoustic bass guitar converted into an electric bass. “You wanna see the girls get crazy! Crazy”! she sang at the top of her lungs as she started jumping on stage. The crowd pushed closer to her and jumped up and down as well.

The mic stand then fell a few inches downward. It didn’t hit the ground, but Zo had to move with the mic as it went down. She got on her knees and played the rest of the song with her red guitar in hand. 

“That just told me I didn’t get on my knees enough tonight,” she said as the crowd laughed in agreement. 

Amado, the bassist, sported a ball cap and a red jumpsuit for the evening. His bass was black and red and was as sharp as can be. He played each song with ease and helped the crowd to hear the beat of the drums with the bass in sync. The bass never overpowered the songs. It was in perfect harmony. 

Loud, quick music beats filled the room as Velvet Rouge continued their set. 

“I dated a guy with 842 records. This is what I wrote this song about,” said Zo as she started to play “842 Records.” “This song has never been played live.” 

As the evening drew on, the crowd pushed closer to the stage. Fifteen minutes before, there were five feet of space between the stage and the crowd. The more Velvet Rouge played, however, the more the crowd pushed closer – soon, they were only inches away from the stage. 

Photo by Alicia Lenea

Between each song, Zo would mention the tip jar sitting on the small table right in front of the stage. All the bands that played at Rockwood Music Hall that night did not receive any compensation from the venue, so they made their money by receiving tips. 

It was a night that seemed never to end. The crowd did not seem like they wanted it to end either as they continued to move side to side and up and down, swaying to the beat Velvet Rouge created. 

“This song is called Black Light, and it means a lot to me,” Zo said as she transitioned to the second to last song of the night. “It’s about the idea that there is no life after death, and that’s okay with me.” 

“Black Light” will be released on March 24, with an accompanying music video on March 31.  

“Black Light” was a beautiful song. It had a soft and slow beat at the beginning but then turned into a hard and fast beat near the end as Zo picked up her red guitar and played flawlessly. The crowd listened carefully to the words and did not jump as much as they had been. This song was different from the others. It had a deeper meaning to it that the crowd seemed to understand. 

Zo then moved on to the last song of the night, saying, “This song is about how I fell in love on the subway. It is called “15th Street” and can be streamed on Spotify.” 

The crowd went crazy because a couple in the audience had also fallen in love on the subway.  “You fell in love on the subway?” Zo asked a person in the crowd. “This song is for you.” 

15th Street was the last song that Velvet Rouge played, and it was a hit. They played their hearts out and owned the stage. It was an experience worth witnessing. 

To learn more about Velvet Rouge, follow them on Instagram. 

To see more bands like Velvet Rouge, check out Rockwood Music Hall. They have three stages, and Stage One has free admission. Velvet Rouge and many other performers Saturday night performed on Stage One. The venue is only for people 21+. With no cover charge for Stage One, the venue requires a minimum of one drink which costs around $19. It is a bit pricey, but the performances are worth it. 

Alicia Lenea is the Live Music Columnist at The Empire State Tribune. She is a senior majoring in Journalism Culture and Society.