Public Practice Keeping the Sleeping Village Up and Dancing
Sam York of Public Practice.
In listening to Public Practice’s ‘Compromised’ I was drawn to their punk, new wave, and disco influence, with direct and inevitable comparisons between the group and iconic acts such as Blondie, the B-52’s, and Talking Heads. I can’t imagine a better mixture of performers to draw inspiration from, capturing an eclectic era in music when stage presence and theatrical artistry were integral to a group’s appeal. In other words, Public Practice is a pure JOY to watch, as much as their infectious booty- shakin’ music is to dance to.
Statuesque and refreshingly adorned in the best of glam, glitter, and grace, Sam York’s instantly charismatic swagger wastes no time engaging the Sleeping Village into fashionably over-powered, epic dance-off. York’s melodic cadence invokes the intonation and inflection of Deborah Harry, Kate Pierson, and David Byrne. Again, hard to beat, yet alone match its transportive nature. Drew Citron’s baseline funk steadfastly riding the percussive wave driven by Jeff Widner on drums on ‘My Head’ and ‘Disposable’, from their 2020 release of ‘Gentle Grip’, seamlessly pairing with Vince McClelland’s bright, and strategically counterpointed guitar phrasing found in their 2018 EP release of ‘Disposable’.
In an era where indie groups are laughably over-produced, and at times strategically under dressed to homogenized and templated levels, Public Practice offers something familiar yet refreshingly progressive, wearing their inspiration on their collective, reverent sleeves, wonderfully veering left when you think otherwise. See them if the opportunity arises, keeping in mind to leave the socks and sandal combo at home.
Full Gallery: Public Practice @ Sleeping Village
Drew Citron, Jeff Widner, Samantha York, and Vince McClelland lead the Sleeping Village’s dance party.