By Calli Ferguson | April 14, 2023

After touring the country on their first headline tour as Cafuné, the local indie pop duo gave their last performance to a sold-out Bowery Ballroom. And if there was one thing to take away from the night, it was this: after a whirlwind of a TikTok viral song and selling out venues across the country, this show was a homecoming.

Cafuné’s Sedona Schat and Noah Yoo originally met at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute where their creative partnership got its start. Tapping into their creative energy during Covid, the two were able to come out the other side having recorded their album. Running was released in 2021 including the beloved nostalgic jam, “Tek It.” That’s when TikTok took Tek It and ran with it. Soon, they would sign with Elektra Records and go on tour supporting CHVRCHES. It was an example of what can happen in a world where music is on this platform in the hands of the global public. And when it works, it happens fast.  

Days after wrapping up with CHVRCHES, Cafuné  announced their tour and would go on to spend five weeks from February to the end of March playing venues around the country. At the end of it all, a packed room of fans in Manhattan’s Lower East Side eagerly waited to welcome them home again. 

The night kicked off with a set from Bathe. The Brooklyn-based duo made up of Dev Hobdy (vocals) and Corey Smith-West (guitar) warmed up a joyful audience on a Wednesday evening with a smooth performance of their cozy, genre-bending discography. “So fucking good to be home,” Dev shared, in a mid-set happy sigh. They finished us off with a delicious, velvety rendition of Miguel’s “Sure Thing.”

The Bowery Ballroom buzzed in both satisfaction and anticipation before Cafuné took the stage: Noah in a crisp collared button down and glasses falling down his nose and Sedona with this lovely dark, dramatic eye makeup. It was a cool visual combo, as they found themselves sharing a vibe on “Least Coast.”  It wasn’t long ‘til they looked in the crowd and shared they were, “so fuckin’ happy to be back in New York City.”

We got to watch Noah rock like there was nothing in the world he’d rather be doing. “I feel like this crowd is particularly thirsty for Noah,” Sedona teased,  “Am I wrong?” Woos and laughs echo in the ballroom.  Meanwhile, her beautiful vocal control was highlighted as she switched between microphones for that signature, moody Cafuné sounds that we get on the recordings. 

The duo even offered two unreleased tracks mid-set, “Unchained Memories” and “Old Issues,” one of which they revealed was their “most emo song yet” (we’ll leave it up to you to guess which). Imagining the unexpected surprises that had come their way in the year past, and the on-your-feet-ness that comes with being on the road, you could feel an exhale on the Ballroom stage.  “We got to sleep in our own beds last night,” they’d say to a happy, dancing crowd of NYC fans, “I’ve never been so happy to see the six train in my whole life.” 

And it was cool. Cause you kind of got the sense… wherever their career might take them next, their home crowd would be there with open arms when they get home.  

Connect with Cafuné on Instagram, Spotify, TikTok and their website

📸: shot by Jori Halpern

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