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Age of Madness in New York
Age of Madness took to City Winery’s main stage in New York last week and here’s what you need to know:
Age of Madness was created by Broadway icon Jeremy Jordan and his friend Mikael. The band consists of three members; Jeremy Jordan (vocals), Mikael (guitar), and Sarah Charness (violin) who released their first single ‘My First Enemy’ in April of 2022. The band’s rock and roll music is a big genre shift for Jeremy who is a well-known Broadway performer, most notably known for his lead role in the Tony award-winning Broadway show ‘Newsies’. Jeremy made it clear at the start of the show that this project as a whole and the band’s performance that night would be separate from his musical theatre identity. Although many fans of the band may have been introduced to the new music through Jeremy, Age of Madness is its own entity and represents a new chapter in the singer’s career.
Backstage
I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the band backstage while they prepared for their set. The members were all quite kind and welcoming as I shot some behind-the-scenes photos of their getting-ready process. We spent a bit of time taking some posed portraits in the green room and backstage halls as well. Jeremy, Mikael, and Sarah are a laid-back, easy-going bunch which really put me at ease and allowed me to do my job without feeling rushed or uncomfortable. My time with the band was enjoyable and Mikael even invited me back to hang out after the show which is quite telling of the inviting character of the people who make up this band.
Age of Madness is less than two years old, this NYC show was their 5th ever live concert and the second of four cities they’d visit on the “Short Circuit Tour”. The band has released a number of singles and just dropped their debut album “Mercy”. The setlist was full of head-banging originals and a rock and roll twist on the Beatles classic “Come Together” which is also featured on the album. At one point in the show Jeremy announced that we were at the point in an Age of Madness set referred to as “Tea Time” where the songs would be slower and more intimate. The lead singer casually pulled up a stool to sit on for “Tea Time” (as one does when they’re about to sing a ballad or two). This portion of the night felt more venue-appropriate as New York City Winery is a sit-down, restaurant style venue which makes a rock and roll audience much more tranquil that they typically might otherwise be.
Vocal Skills at work
Jeremy proved his vocal skills by transitioning seamlessly from the gritty rock numbers to more emotional ballads like “Hallowed”. Sarah killed it throughout the night, playing an untraditional looking sparkly pink electric violin which adds to the uniqueness of this rock and roll group. Throughout the night Mikael displayed his spirited personality by throwing several sarcastic remarks towards his good friend Jeremy. At one point even asking an audience member to switch seats with him so he could have some time away from the lead singer because he had simply had enough of having to stand next to him. The audience member was hesitant but ultimately looked very happy to be sat onstage in, what I thought resembled, a Justin Bieber “One Less Lonely Girl”-esque serenade.
As the band wrapped up the night, they reminded the audience that specialty Age of Madness bottles of wine were available for purchase, appropriate for the winery venue. As a backstage photographer and as an audience member, the show was overall a wonderful experience. I look forward to the future of Age of Madness and hope to see them return to NYC soon.
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