Brooke Dougan and Pond View
Space Ballroom
Hamden, Conn.
June 6, 2025
The thief? Down-to-earth Connecticut alt indie musician Brooke Dougan.
The stolen goods? Instrumentalists Josh Sansone, Matt Nagy, and Luke Krascewski of local band Pond View.
Also stolen: the hearts of the rapt crowd at Hamden live music venue Space Ballroom Saturday night as they got a chance to hear Dougan’s voice backed by the rich, layered textures of an experienced band.
Dougan and her one-night bandmates from Pond View opened what was a three-act show Saturday, followed by R&B crooner Esmer—also with a slightly larger than usual setup as keyboardist Ben Bailis was back from college for the summer — and six-piece indie pop band Similar Kind, fresh off the release of their first album. Across the whole bill, the show gave instrumentalists their time to shine, highlighting the joy of a fuller than full band.
Long blonde hair whipped around on stage as Dougan leaned into her husky, cool vocals and steady guitar. The band showed off smooth transitions, perfecting the craft of a steady progression throughout a song. Their sound was immersive, bringing the audience further and further into their spiral. At times, the music cut out perfectly for a fraction of a second, suspending the audience in silence before coming back with even more energy.
Dougan’s guitarist, Krascewski, often turned around while playing, keeping his back to the audience. His unbroken dedication to the music kept the energy up and showcased his intentions as pure. What might otherwise appear shy or antagonistic instead came off as respectably odd.
“I forgot to put on deodorant,” he warned at the start of the show.
Among other pursuits, Krascewski seemed dedicated to keeping the local music scene weird. When he found out I was covering the show for the Indy, he immediately asked to draw something for me. I handed over my reporter’s notepad. Minutes later, he gave it back.
“Happy Halla Ween!” the page said, complete with a demonic pumpkin, creepy witch, and spooky little ghost.
I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I hazarded a guess.
“Do you really like Halloween?”
“Wait, what day is it today?” he countered.
“Not Halloween,” I said, to which he just gave a quick, hearty, “Oh, my bad.”
Esmer’s band also crossed the threshold from supporting characters to stars of the show themselves. His violinist, Claire Lane, floated through multiple roles throughout the set, echoing Esmer’s vocals in certain moments and adding a jazzy element in others. At first, I found myself looking for the saxophone on stage, only to realize it was the violin making those smooth, melodic, bluesy tones.
And of course, Similar Kind kept the full band sound up with their actual saxophone along with the standard percussion and rhythm. The crowd, already packed throughout the night, grew into a frenzy as Similar Kind played fan favorites and new hits off of the album they’d released less than 24 hours prior.
Pond View fans will be relieved to know Dougan has returned them by now. A closer look at the bandmates’ musical equipment revealed Pond View stickers and labels coating everything. They fully intend to get back into Viewing Ponds after this quick stop, it seems.
