IN CONCERT: Babe Rainbow - Music Hall of Williamsburg - August 14, 2025

Aug 23

Concert review by Beau Croxton, all photos by Tommy Krause

Babe Rainbow at Music Hall of Williamsburg by Tommy Krause

As I walked over to Music Hall of Williamsburg on the late summer evening of August 14th to see Babe Rainbow, the vibes were already very high. There was an incredibly colorful sunset over the Williamsburg waterfront that resembled some sort of…(babe) rainbow sherbet. I had been listening to Babe Rainbow on and off for many years, and I caught their groovy set at Desert Daze in 2022, which was complete with a liquid light show and an adoring festival crowd. But this time around, I was much more well versed with their entire catalog and really looking forward to a more intimate club show– especially after the release of their fantastic new album, Slipper Imp and shakaerator.

LOVE FOREVER

The band opened with “Supermoon”, backed by some psychedelic visuals that continued to change colors throughout the evening (...praise be, the Babe Rainbow sherbet visual continues!). The band set a great tone with mysterious, psychedelic lyrics “Come closer, wherever you are /We’re not living on earth”. The vocal excitement from the crowd was notable, as the band began to get room primed for a great night.

The irresistible tropicalia-funk of “What is ashwagandha?” really got people movin’ and groovin’ properly. Lead singer Angus Dowling sported a teal, tropical-patterned windbreaker and his face was concealed by his bobbing, blonde mushroom cut for the majority of the evening. Occasionally, he would often let loose dancing and look up, revealing his smile and how much fun he was having. “Monkey Disco" provided an excellent throwback to their debut and continued the funk, and the thumping rhythms of “Like Cleopatra” got plenty of fanfare from folks who were keen to hear the new record live.

Babe Rainbow at Music Hall of Williamsburg by Tommy Krause

One delightful surprise came in the form of “Planet Junior” from 2015’s Babe Rainbow EP– which is a personal favorite. While many bands tend to eventually phase out some of their material from their setlist, it seems Babe Rainbow knows just how popular their early work is. Their bassist, Elliot O’ Reilly, stepped up to the mic and announced “the next song is called “Peace Blossom Boogy!” and the crowd lost it, as this tune has been one of the band’s most popular songs since it dropped on their debut album. Afterwards, Babe Rainbow doubled down on the throwbacks with a great and lively rendition of 2015’s “Secret Enchanted Broccoli Forest”. The whole show felt like some swinging 60s acid-party, which encouraged the audience to be their most cheerful and fun selves. The band then slowed things down for a lovely rendition of Slipper imp’s “Sunday”, and let much of the psychedelic elements of the tune do the talking.

The band brought a nice double dose of 2022’s The Organic Band with “Naxos” and “Smash The Machine”, which are two personal favorites from the record– it truly felt like they were just running a greatest hits set all night. “Something New” from their 2019 album, Today, was a truly beautiful, cinematic, slow-dance moment. It brought a tender vibe and a change of pace that swooned the audience, as they swayed in delight. After all, it is such a classic sounding song that hits a real sweet spot.

Babe Rainbow at Music Hall of Williamsburg by Tommy Krause

The band was clearly having a great time, cracking sarcastic jokes like “Security told us something about ‘no slamming’..” poking fun at the fact that moshing would be significantly out of place at their concert full of peaceful, hippie-dippy tunes. Lead Singer Angus Dowling chatted with the sound man between songs, commenting on the circular metallic sound-booth on the floor, saying “Groovy spaceship you got there!”. I think Dowling also might have been trying to beat the world record for most maracas held during one song– (I think I counted 6 percussion items at one point), but to be fair, it sounded fantastic and it got the whole venue shaking with him.

The band played “Zeitgeist” from 2021’s Changing Colors– its a true gem full of psychedelic lyrics: “Outside lies within/ peel the mandarin/ love has just begun”. Their bassist Eliott said “We're gonna play one more off the last record”, and the band launched into “LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS". The crowd response to this song was huge, with many people dancing their hearts out to it and pumping their arms up and down in delight.

Most of the dancing that night had been steady, but at this point in the show, something clicked and the whole venue collectively started grooving at max capacity. All of that energy in the room peaked on the next track, their classic track “Love Forever”, where the band picked up the pace. The place was jumping, and the tambourine was shaking. After their stellar, high-energy rendition, the band said their goodbyes and left the stage.

Babe Rainbow at Music Hall of Williamsburg by Tommy Krause

ENCORE

The whole venue started a very rowdy soccer stadium-style chant of Babe Rainbow’s name to get them to appear for some additional tunes. Honestly, it was the loudest encore chant I had heard in a minute– those last two songs really got the crowd riled up. After disappearing backstage for a bit, the band came out for a series of encores. Dowling returned to stage wearing a blonde wig (on top of his already blonde hair) which was a silly and fun touch. In one particularly charming moment, the band posed for a portrait with the audience, courtesy of our photographer Tommy Krause, (pictured below!)

The band launched into another old school classic, “Johny Says Stay Cool”, which found the crowd continuing their rave-up and freak-out mode during some speedy conga playing from Dowling. “Loading Quicksilver with Pitchfork” was a peculiar but great choice as well, with its Talking Heads-esque grooves. The band closed with a halftime tempo version of “Aquarium Cowgirl’, a very popular tune from their new record. The tempo made it feel like a lullaby and a sweet, final farewell, as everyone swayed and sang along.

Somewhere towards the end of the show, folks understood the assignment and got their groove on to the fullest– they let loose just as freely as the band did, and it gave the show a great peak and conclusion. Leaving the venue, smiles were just as big as entering– much thanks to the babes from bringing their magical, neo-psych cheer to Brooklyn.

Check out the setlist and Gallery by Tommy Krause below!

All photos of Babe Rainbow by Tommy Krause

( @_tommykrause_ )