Jam with ‘Umami House’ in NYC’s DIY venues where every set is truly one-of-a kind

Courtesy of Daniel Bonner

With Alfred Lam on keys and Samuel Lee on guitar, the musical duo ‘Umami House’ takes on the city’s classic venues and DIY performance spaces.

Since their arrival in NYC from Washington D.C. last summer, Samuel Lee and Alfred Lam of Umami House have performed at a spate of locations all across the city. 

But chiefly, the legend of the captivating ‘Umami House’ jam session lives on in the minds of the 80 twenty-somethings who attended a makeshift open-mic at a small apartment in Astoria, Queens, on a cold fall evening. 

Last October, Bronx native Paulo Tonn turned his apartment into an open-mic venue, with help from saxophonist Stanley Tadi and audio engineer Bea Go.

One of 11 performances that night, ‘Umami House’ performed their recorded songs with a funky twist, thanks to Lee’s talent for the electric guitar and the help of drummer Justin McKibben’s sped-up beats. 

But for most of their allotted time, which was a tight 15 minutes, the duo riffed on their unreleased songs, with Lam pausing his singing to let Lee jam on the guitar. Lam also improvised on the keys, though he admitted that he is less comfortable with this kind of performance than Lee. The result was a standout set , with cheers from the audience filling the already packed abode.

“There’s a musical conversation going on,” Lee told Through the Monitor. “And when that happens there’s a deep relationship formed with another musician — because you’re telling them something.” 

‘Umami House’ will never perform these songs in this exact way ever again–the audience, by default, has witnessed something delightfully unique.

Though their love for New York’s dwindling numbers of long-time music venues is partly what attracted them to the city, it is at open mics across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens where Lee and Lam feel most comfortable. 

“At an open-mic, it’s a lot more intimate,” said Lee. “That feels more at home to me.”

At these open-mics, they developed their signature playful style, attracting the attention of music lovers and bookers alike. 

The duo also posts improvised jams on Instagram Reels. They input prompts into the generative AI application ChatGPT, using it to spit out lyrics which they then riff off of to create short songs. 

Though a little corny, the songs are creative, and catchy. These reels ultimately attracted the attention of a booker at the Lower East Side club and music venue The Delancey. Umami House performed there in early November. 

Online marketing has the capacity to reach a much wider audience than live performances, but Lee and Lam still prioritize the latter. 

“There is a special kind of high that you can get as a musician when you’re playing on stage and you’re feeling the audience’s energy,” said Lee. “It’s kind of like waiting for a roller coaster ride.”

As a result of their jam-band style of performance, the duo’s two released tracks, ‘Rollercoaster’ and ‘Move Along,’ are nothing like their live sound. They’re much slower — almost like ballads. 

“When you perform a song so many times in front of people, it starts to kind of create its own personality — its own sound,” said Lee.

This month, Lee and Lam hosted a DIY concert at their neighbor’s apartment in Bushwick, only a couple doors down from their own. The event, dubbed the ‘Umami House Experience,’ featured other acts like musicians ‘Chocolate Brown,’ and DJ ‘Solely.’ 

The duo gave out printed programs, and enlisted the aid of practiced emcee Tadi for the evening. The event sold out. That Friday, over 70 people funneled into the spacious apartment to watch the duo perform their unique set.

“Originally from D.C., but now we’re out here in New York to bring you the motherfucking vibes,” Tadi shouts into the mic, the band members laughing behind him. “Let’s give it up for Umami House!” 

The show begins with a more slow, jazzy tune, building into an unreleased track sung by Lee. The duo alternate singing throughout the 45-minute set, and though Lee has a pleasing voice, it was no match for Lam’s wide vocal range. The two are joined by a talented bass player and drummer for this performance.

Over the course of the show, Lam’s honeyed voice often gives way to his own jazz-inspired improvisation on the keyboard, while Lee’s playful guitar riffs feel more reminiscent of psychedelic rock. 

Lauren Dalban/TTM

With this eclectic mix of genres and influences — and a clear sense that the duo are truly enjoying themselves —  it’s no wonder there’s an encore. 

Attendees cheer loudly after every song, proving once and for all that the jam band style doesn’t only belong at Madison Square Gardens on New Year’s Eve for the enjoyment of middle aged bankers. It can also entertain people of all ages in an intimate basement loft apartment off of Bushwick Avenue. 

On January 26, ‘Umami House’ will release their third song on Spotify.