Buke and Gase played Public Records (Night 2)

The end of an era! Buke and Gase said farewell at Public Records for their final show in the borough that started it all.

It's hard to let things go, but sometimes saying goodbye on your own accord can make it easier, even if it's bittersweet. Nearly two decades after starting the band, Brooklyn's Buke and Gase are winding things down (for now at least) as they look towards the future and their final show in their hometown (or at least the place where things got started) was an emotional send off for the truly devoted. Buke and Gase never "made it big" in the way a lot of other Brooklyn bands from the early aughts did, but to those who knew them, they were an essential part of those early days when Williamsburg was at the forefront of new music and the budding scene for bands across the country. Naming themselves after their own homemade instruments, the duo of Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez embraced the DIY aspects of their music and never settled for anything other than what was true to them and their sound. A bit ramshackle, a bit progressive, and really like no other band, their inventive sound embodied the true sense of what indie music looked like in the early millennium and their impact on their community felt accentuated as they played what they say will be their final show in the city that gave them a start. A sold out Public Records was packed with adoring fans, many of whom had been seeing the band since their early gigs in 2009 (yours truly included) and it felt like a real celebration for so many special moments as they ripped through choice selections from their vast catalogue. For nearly two hours, they rocked us with their innovative sound and proved that all of these years later, there are still few bands who've ever come close to replicating something quite like their style. In an age when a band like Angine de Poitrine can go viral for their gimmicky outfits and their own homemade instruments, it makes you wonder what could've been had Buke and Gase emerged when YouTube and other social media platforms carried the weight they do today. Their distinct harmonics, unusual time signatures, and avant-garde sound could easily be applied to the Canadian duo who also customize their gear and sound, but Buke and Gase never got the benefit of those channels to spread them to the masses and that made this intimate gathering feel all the more special. They've always been a band you seem to learn about from a friend or someone else associated with the scene (even though they did get coverage on sites like Pitchfork and Stereogum) and it was clear from the jump that for those who knew of them, this was a band that really mattered. Throughout the night, Arone and Aron spoke to the crowd, shared their thanks, and even took requests from time to time. Of course things were overwhelming and they couldn't fit every single song into their set, but the duo did a remarkable job of keeping everyone happy, playing the songs that meant the most to their devoted legion of fans, and made sure that this was the sendoff they both deserved. It was an all encompassing show and one that really felt fitting for the impact they made on the scene after all these years. A perfect end to a really special career.