Saturday November 5, Irving Plaza, New York City; the air was still and the room was quiet, the only exception was the sweet, soulful sounds and warm, fuzzy lyrics of Joshua Radin.
Radin is currently on tour supporting his new album, “The Fall”. Radin says, “The Fall” is my seventh studio album, but it’s the first album I’ve produced myself, so this feels like the most honest work I’ve released in my twelve-year career.”
In the vein of storytellers, Radin enchanted us with tales of love lost and proclaimed his “songs are as quiet as you can possibly get,” which is the best thing about listening to Radin. His songs have the ability to quiet our souls while simultaneously waking up a part of ourselves that we may have lost.
Songs that stood out; the inspirational “Brand New Day,” Radin shared it was written after the demise of a 6 year relationship. “Paperweight” from a movie called Dear John is a wonderful song full of sweet and innocent love. “My My Love” a song about finally finding the one that makes your heart flutter. It’s all love, love love for Mr. Radin.
The last time Radin was at Irving Plaza was about a year and half ago—he recalled a moment in the audience when a young man proposed to his girlfriend after his Yaz remake of “Only You”. Not only was that woman there on Saturday night, but confessed to them breaking up, Radin jokingly a la “Sleepless in Seattle” said he’d meet her at the top of the Empire State Building after the show.
Joshua Radin deserves to have a song featured in every rom-com movie until the end of time, his heart opening music sets the stage for uninhibited love, vulnerability and deep connection on otherworldly levels.
Radin is continuing his tour to the West coast and then to Europe.
Setlist: No Envy, Beautiful Day, You Got Growin’ Up to Do, Brand New Day, Closer, I’d Rather Be With You, Only You, My My Love, Belong, High and Low, Underwater, Today, Winter, Enough For You, Don’t Think Twice
Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist ditched their usual instruments and were setup in front of modular synthesizers, while Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks/Ponytail band-mate Jeremy Hyman took over the drumming duties. For Painting With, the band made a conscious decision to keep the songs short and to the point. The songs are fast and dense, like they had taken their essence and squashed it into a hard little piece of bubble gum. It was on the road that the songs would be chewed up and stretched out.
As with most Animal Collective shows, the latest album was heavily featured. But that didn’t stop them from throwing several older gems into the set. The new tracks had a sense of frenetic acid pop, which pulsated with tribal rhythms that drove the energy forward and carried momentum throughout the set, even if the audience wasn’t necessarily familiar with all of the new material.
The droning trance of “Bees” gave everyone a chance to recollect themselves during the beginning of the encore before “Lying on the Grass” melted into the old-school classic “Alvin Row”, a song that many people were hearing live for the first time as they had never played the song live as a band before this tour. Some people were completely losing their shit, and it’s hypnotic builds and releases were a great way to end the show.
Joining the group as supporting acts this tour will be fellow Floridians Obituary, as well as Cryptopsy and Abysmal Dawn.
Although most of the crowd were there for Greensky Bluegrass, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades were welcomed with a positive turnout early on. The five-piece acoustic outfit ran through their unique blend of bluegrass and country that brought bands like Trampled By Turtles and Old Crow Medicine Show to mind. One thing that sets this group aside from anyone else is their utilization of the harmonica and accordion in their arrangements. The fiddle blends well with the handheld instrument to deliver a strong high-end sound. Personal highlights came with covers of Pink Floyd’s “Time,” and Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright,” where they successfully turned two classics into their own sound.
Kalamazoo’s Greensky Bluegrass took to the stage for two sets of well thought out and executed mayhem, running through early staples, showing off new work, and paying homage to their inspiration by taking on songs like Billy Joel’s “Big Shot,” Bruce Hornsby’s “King Of The Hill,” and the Allman Brothers’ “One Way Out.” Known for their playful covers and heartfelt originals, this band can go from dead serious to bouncing off the walls in a matter of one jam in between two songs.
