Caleb Moore never thought he’d put out “Comeback Kid.” But in a warmly lit townhouse in Manhattan on May 16, people cheered and whistled so loudly for the song’s music video that the historic Knicks win hours later seemed quiet in comparison.
The party for the “Comeback Kid” video release on the second floor of Lingua Franca felt like the big entrance to summer. There was cold beer and wine, smoke breaks on the balcony, live music, and a movie projector for the main event. Around Moore, who is the son of actress Julianne Moore and director Bart Freundlich, there were about 50 close friends, family members, and coworkers in the entertainment industry. They sat or stood cross-legged on sofas and seemed to move with their own gravitational pull.
This alternative R&B singer, 27 years old, played an acoustic set with his guitar on his knee to start the night. He just released his first EP, Doing Better, and opened for Barry Can’t Swim at the Surf Lodge.
Moore’s first release of 2025 was “Paranoia.” His next single, “Bad Guy,” came out in March and was a smooth duet with NYC indie-pop artist India Thieriot. Thieriot joined Moore on stage for the first time to perform the song together. Moore led the crowd with a big smile and riffed and joked between songs, adding humor, thanks, and lightheartedness to his set. People in the crowd sang along to Moore’s local hit “Sunshine” and then calmed down to listen to his unreleased song “Burn It Down.”
Lastly, Moore played “Comeback Kid” live for the first time before showing the music video. Moore says that the idea for the song came from realizing that he used to have a “keep your chin up” attitude that was almost too much. At first, he didn’t think the song would appeal to many people.
“The one you don’t think anyone will want to listen to is the one they like the best,” Moore thought as he began to play the song’s soothing tune. Moore wrote, produced, mixed, and mastered “Comeback Kid.” He says it is his most simple song yet, with just singing, guitar, and bass.
That weakness is shown in the video. The nearly five-minute shot was shot on 35mm in one continuous take. It shows Moore singing “Comeback Kid” to himself as he walks through Lower Manhattan in the early morning light. The crew, led by NYC filmmaker Giles Perkins, only had two chances to get the shot right because of time limits and the rising sun. The last cut was their first take. The room blew up when the credits rolled.
Moore, who is from New York, quickly changed the screen to show the Knicks game after his music video was released into the world. He also told everyone that pizza was on its way. Even during the Knicks’ worst lost years, Moore grew up going to home games with his family, so not even his own show could stop him from watching the game. And the crowd stuck around. Moore’s happiness and the city’s happiness came together as the Knicks won and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1999. What a better night to come back.
