Written by Steven Korn
I first attended an International Pop Overthrow festival produced by David Bash way back in 1999 in Los Angeles, and have been to many since. While I’ve always enjoyed them, that first one was very special. I feel like this past weekend’s NYC edition (Nov. 5-8 at Parkside Lounge) came the closest I can remember to that feeling of catching a special power pop scene/moment in time; it was especially heartening to see the healthy mix of young bands and veterans.
There are too many highlights from the four days to include here, but at Aaron’s invitation I’ve listed some personal favorites that I hope will connect with readers of Powerpopaholic, too. Please don’t take it as “the best of the fest”; there were many more excellent performances worth your time and attention than can appear below. Please visit my YouTube channel in the days ahead, when I plan to add more video clips of them. But here are three that hit a sweet spot for me; if you like what you see/hear, consider attending a future IPO festival and be part of the fun as it happens.
Wednesday Week “Why”
I’d be fibbing if I said this was not my favorite set of IPO NYC 2026. Their excellent album “What We Had” came out in 1987, which had been the year of their most recent NYC show — until now. Forty years vanished in a flash from their first notes, as they sounded better than ever. Icing on the cake is a brand-new EP of smartly selected covers, led by their take on the awesome Dolly Mixture song, “Side Street Walker.” Pure jangle rock joy.
Strange Neighbors, “Whoa! Is Me”
It’s been gratifying watching this amazing young NYC band become a perennial favorite at the festival; also at work on a new album, they debuted a few excellent sounding songs from it, but this “oldie” remains one of my faves in their catalog. See Aaron’s interview with Strange Neighbors here.
Allie Kenny, “Night Train”
A very exciting late addition to the lineup, and — you guessed it! — she has a full album in the works for 2027. Aaron recently sang his praises for this single, with good reason. Read the review here.
Other faves here include performances from Log Flume, The Grip Weeds, Fascinations Grand Chorus, Bubble, and American Darlings. Hopefully I will see you attend other IPO shows across the USA and beyond!