Flemington DIY Hosts Impressive LGBTQ Music Showcase

by Alice Magdziak • April 13, 2015 • Arts & Entertainment, Events, Hunterdon, Music, Photography • Comments (0) • 2632

We were treated to a beautiful evening of music last night in Flemington. Hosted by Flemington DIY, this was a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Music Showcase and it was an wonderful night of inclusiveness and musical talent.

Flemington DIY is an amazing organization working to inspire social change by fostering and cultivating projects that connect the local community with musicians and artists in Flemington. Their location in the 90 Main Street building is called the Ninety Main Project and its fostering an inclusive community in the area with respect for and through participation with the broader community, showcasing socially-conscious ideas and promoting networks between others, actively combating sexism, homophobia, racism, and other forms of oppression while creating a safe space for everyone.

Daniel Siuba, from California but recently on tour with NJ’s Liv Lombardi, was the first to sing. He gave an intensely intimate performance filled with emotional and deeply personal lyrics. He said that he hadn’t played a solo performance for quite a while but it didn’t show in his voice. He recorded a CD earlier in the day with some of the songs he played along with others that weren’t on the set list. The CD was only on sale last night so we made sure we got one. It’s a gorgeous EP that we listened to all the way home on repeat.

Bern and the Brights from Montclair played next and brought their A game. For a space that’s basically just a large conference room, Ninety Main has great acoustics and Bern and the Brights duel electric guitars and harmonies sounded amazing.

Their fun dream pop songs were very well-received by the crowd, too. They play quite a bit throughout New Jersey so you should check them out when they’re nearby.

Next up was Julia Weldon from Brooklyn. She sang from the heart and her indie-folk style was perfect for the friendly and thoughtful mood of the night. She plays guitar with impressive precision and sings with an honesty that is refreshing.

Liv Lombardi, one of the hosts of the evening, followed Weldon. She has been on an East Coast tour with Daniel Shiuba and she played her set with his percussion backing her up. We recently introduced her to you here on the site and if you haven’t checked her out yet you definitely should. The honesty and clarity she portrays in her interview answers are also evident in her live performances. She’s so passionate and talented!

New Jersey band Forever Losing Sleep normally have a louder post-hardcore electric sound but Sunday night they played their first ever (mostly) acoustic set. Only their bassist played an electric instrument (acoustic bass is hard to find) and they even sang without microphones. It was a really cool and intimate way to hear and understand their melodies and lyrics.

They seemed really honored to be included in the show. We can’t wait to go hear them play again as a full plugged in band.

Be sure to follow Flemington DIY on Facebook because they do some really cool stuff year round. This was an amazing showcase and we’re hoping to see more of these around the state soon.

Check out all the pictures from our evening in Flemington at the Ninety Main Project: