Keenan O’Meara and Billie Marten Transport a Brooklyn Rooftop ‘Elsewhere’
8.3.2026 - Brooklyn, NY
The night of August 3rd atop Elsewhere in Brooklyn, NY, was a magical alignment of all the right things: the warm blanket of a summer evening, an embrace of mossy green and turquoise skies dancing over Bushwick, and soul-touching tunes moving through the crowd.
I hadn’t heard of Keenan O’Meara before this show, and oh, how happy I am to now know his name. There is nothing more captivating to me than an artist who walks out alone, with no one to follow, a guitar acting as a bridge between them and their audience. I mean, how frighteningly intimate is that?
Keenan shared with us a piece of his Brooklyn past that included hosting friends in his backyard, passing drinks, and sharing songs. I felt like we were there. We were all his friends in his backyard, drinking our drinks and listening.
Photo by @joelrchan on Instagram
Keenan holds a pen to his chest and lets his heart write the page. His songs share stories of the existential experience of being human in this world, with songs like “If I Could Leave” and “A Little More Time.” Inviting Katie Martucci, who was supporting Billie Marten on bass, onto the stage, the pair sang “Devil Never Said Her Name.” It’s a heartwarming song about a woman so pure that even the devil himself couldn’t say her name. Their voices complemented each other beautifully, creating an incredible performance that brought the story to life.
Then, it was Billie Marten’s turn to play. She came onstage in a mid-length, Gillian Welch-inspired dress with an abstract blue and white pattern. The first few minutes of the set felt like they were still finding their groove, and there were also some issues with the smoke machine being a bit too intense.
The groove immediately locked in with the first few notes of "Clover," and the crowd began to sway. By then, the smoke machine had been dialed back to a light haze that fit the ambience of the music and night perfectly. The mesh of Billie on vocals and guitar, Katie on bass and background vocals, and Andrew Maguire on drums was incredible to experience, both visually and sonically. You could see the familiarity between them onstage. The way they seemed to slip into a shared flow state as the night went on, each instrument moving naturally around the others. There was an almost effortless conversation happening between the three of them. They weren’t simply playing alongside one another; they were dancing with each other. It felt like music heaven!
Photo by @joelrchan on Instagram
You could see Andrew’s love for the drums written all over his face. Song after song, he kept the beat with a smile, his sticks constantly in motion. There was something infectious about watching someone so completely at home behind their instrument, just like Keenan and his guitar.
The trio played a few new songs that introduced a heavier rock element to Billie’s familiar folk sound, with more distortion coming through Billie’s electric guitar and Andrew hitting the drums with a little more force. It was exciting to hear Billie’s delicate, folk-rooted vocals set against the familiar textures of classic rock, which gave the songs a distinct energy of their own. The crowd was swaying indeed.
The true alignment on that rooftop came with the song “Planets.” The crowd continued their sway, the band continued their groove, and the sun was down as the breeze moved through the crowd. Billie added an incredible guitar solo riff to the song while Andrew supported her with steady, driving drum beats, and Katie matched the rhythm with her bass.
The night ended with a song I hoped I would one day see performed live, ""Swing"—the song feels exactly how it’s titled. She invited the crowd to join her in singing the melody, and we all joined in, filling the rooftop with the familiar “oohs” and “ahhs” of the song. I had sang this song on repeat in the comfort of my small Brooklyn room; tonight on Elsewhere’s rooftop it transformed into an ensemble. What a wonderful night :)
