The Great South Bay Music Festival witnessed an electrifying performance as Head Automatica, featuring drummer Chad Hasty, made a triumphant return to the stage.
Head Automatica split from 2013 to 2023, and the spark to reunite came unexpectedly as fans reached out about the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut album, Decadence.
A Blast from the Electro-Rock Past
The first main stage performance of the Great South Bay Music Festival kicked off with a blast from the electro-rock past as Head Automatica returned to the stage in full form. Opening the main stage with a high-energy set, the band delivered a performance that felt both nostalgic and reinvigorated.
“It was great,” Palumbo said after the set. “The weather was outrageously beautiful. I can’t complain. Head Automatica hasn’t played in a few months." That spontaneity translated into a set filled with energy.
The Unexpected Closer
One of the biggest bursts of energy came during the closing number, as fans clapped and sang along to the beloved “Beating Heart Baby,” a song that, funnily enough, wasn’t even meant to end the set.
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“Somebody told us we only had three minutes left; we were supposed to be closing with a different tune,” Palumbo explained. The intended closer was “Please Please Please (Young Hollywood),” a track with a genre-bending punch that blends electronic, ‘80s, and Afrobeat influences.
“That one was the one we typically close with, with this big, wild electronic ’80s Afrobeat sort of funky little ending to it,” he said. “Yeah, it’s dope.”
Head Automatica 2023-09-26 Detroit, The Shelter - Full Show 4K
The Reunion Spark
“I didn’t really think that I would be doing Head Automatica again,” Palumbo admitted.
Future Plans
Despite the break, Palumbo made it clear the return wasn’t just for a few singles. “There’s tons more. Yeah, there’s going to eventually be an album, absolutely,” he confirmed.
While a sense of musical nostalgia shapes elements of Head Automatica’s sound, the creative drive remains focused on evolution. “I love older new wave and wild, old electronic production from different time, but breaking new ground is definitely part of it. Now, just over two decades since Decadence, time has only shaped Palumbo’s perspective. “I’m a lot older.
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