Caleb Moore never thought he’d release “Comeback Kid.” But in a warmly-lit townhouse above a clothing store in Manhattan Friday (May 16), a crowd cheered and whistled so loudly for the song’s music video that applause for that night’s historic Knicks victory, hours later, paled in comparison.
The “Comeback Kid” video release party on the second floor of Lingua Franca felt like summertime’s grand entrance, complete with chilled wine and beers, smoke breaks on the balcony, live music and a movie projector for the main event. A crowd of about 50 close friends, family and industry colleagues — including actor Billy Crudup, designer Cynthia Rowley and comedian Dan Toomey — dotted sofas and stood or sat cross-legged around Moore, son of actress Julianne Moore and director Bart Freundlich, who seems to move with his own gravitational pull.
With his guitar on his knee, the 27-year-old alternative R&B artist — who recently released his debut EP, Doing Better, and opened for Barry Can’t Swim at the Surf Lodge — delivered a raw, acoustic performance to kick off the night.
Moore started with “Paranoia,” his first release of 2025, followed by his March single “Bad Guy,” a harmonious collaboration with NYC indie-pop artist India Thieriot, who joined Moore at the mic to perform it together for the first time. Commanding the audience with a gleaming smile, Moore riffed and joked between songs, injecting his set with lightheartedness, laughter and gratitude. The crowd sang along to “Sunshine,” a fan-favorite at Moore’s local shows, and quieted to absorb “Burn It Down,” an unreleased single.
Finally, before screening the “Comeback Kid” music video, Moore played it live for the first time. The song is a reflective ballad that Moore says comes from the realization that he used to hold a “‘keep your chin up’ attitude almost to a fault.” Initially, he thought the song lacked broad appeal.
“The one you don’t think anyone will want to listen to ends up being the one they like the best,” Moore mused before settling into the song’s meditative melody. Moore wrote, produced, mixed and mastered “Comeback Kid,” which he says is his most stripped down song yet, featuring only vocals, guitar and bass.
Its video mirrors that vulnerability. Filmed on 35mm in one continuous take, the nearly five-minute shot follows Moore through the bustle of Lower Manhattan in the early morning light as he sings “Comeback Kid” to himself with mounting vigor. Between budget constraints and the rising sun, the crew — directed by NYC filmmaker Giles Perkins — only had two tries to get the shot right. Their first take became the final cut. Once the credits rolled, the room erupted.
With his music video officially out in the world, Moore, a native New Yorker, promptly replaced it on the projector with the Knicks game and assured everyone that pizza was en route. Moore grew up attending home games with his family — even during the Knicks’ especially painful losing years — so not even his own show was going to stop him from catching the game. The crowd stuck around, too, and joy for Moore melded with joy for the city as the Knicks clinched victory, making it into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999. What a night for a comeback.
