On a crisp April 24 evening at Bowery Ballroom, music enthusiasts gathered to witness Australian singer-songwriter Blake Rose grace the stage on his headline tour for his latest album, Suddenly Okay.
Nashville’s own Max McNown’s stripped-down set, featuring just two guitars and a harmonica, captivated the audience. While McNown’s genre is notably more country than Rose’s sound, this did not stop fans from swaying to the beat – his set quite literally set the perfect tone for the night.
Blake Rose opened his electrifying set with the energetic “Rollerblades”. An electric guitar hung around his neck as Rose went back and forth from the strings to the keys and back to the microphone. Rose’s infectious energy filled the venue, igniting an excitement among fans. The setlist was a blend of old and new, showcasing Rose’s evolution as an artist. “Dizzy”, a track familiar to many from its appearance on The Late Late Show, enraptured the audience and even involved them in clapping along to the kick drum. Transitioning seamlessly between songs, Rose treated fans to a selection of older, well-loved tracks from his 2021 project, A World Gone By, each one eliciting cheers of appreciation from the crowd.
Rose revisited older favorites as well, delighting original fans with a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It was during the latter part of the set that Rose truly connected with his audience, venturing into the heart of the crowd for an unplugged rendition of “Ordinary People”. The crowd parted as the musician adorned in just his acoustic stood on a platform to sing along with only his strings.
As the night at Bowery Ballroom reached its crescendo, Rose performed his up tempo tracks including “Suddenly Okay”, “Never Let Go” and of course the anthemic “Lost”, arguably his most beloved song. Blake Rose’s magnetic stage presence and dynamic energy was enjoyable and authentic. New York would be happy to have him again.
The 2024 concert season at the sublime Opus 40 Sculpture Park in Saugerties opened May 9th with something that delighted ass-shakers and intellectuals alike– a high-energy performance by one of Colombia’s most renowned musical exports – Meridian Brothers.
photo by William A. Loeb
The five-piece is the brainchild of Bogota-based singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Elbis Álvarez. Meridian Brothers is a moniker Álvarez has used on many albums and collaborations, on most of which he plays all the instruments. Friday’s performance was the kick-off of the band’s latest tour, on which Álvarez is supported by a quartet of equally adept and captivating musicians.
The Meridian Brothers sound is an intriguing amalgam of styles and influences. The songs are anchored on danceable Latin rhythms – salsa, boogaloo and cumbia – accented with eerie, experimental keyboard sounds reminiscent of ‘50s sci-fi classics like Forbidden Planet and echoed guitaring that brings to mind Syd Barrett’s work on Pink Floyd’s debut, Piper at Gates of Dawn. In performance, Álvarez’s vocals are often treated with a harmonizer, digital delay and phasing as are some of the ever-present percussive accents. It brings to mind the short-lived era of early Roxy Music when Brian Eno slathered a boatload of sonic treatments on the live sound to ramp up the otherworldly vibe.
photo by William A. Loeb
But make no mistake. As heady and refined as this may sound, this is music for ass-shakers, first and foremost. And that was proved by the multitude that boogied down on the lawn at Opus 40 for all of The Meridian Brothers’ 90-minute plus set.
Álvarez and his cohorts – María Valencia (wind instruments, percussion and keyboards), Mauricio Ramírez (drums), Alejandro Forero (keyboards) and César Quevedo (bass) – ran through a 12-song set of their neo-tropicalista classics from their 10-album discography.
The band commenced with its 2020 single, “Cumbia de la Fuente.” Like many of the tunes, it’s anchored by a sub-harmonic bass riff and thump groove over which float cloud fronts of spacey keyboard effects and samples, triggered by Álvarez and Forero’s midi-keyboards. This track winds down with arpeggiated bells samples that sound like a drunken ice cream truck. Things moved more uptempo with the next number, “Bomba Atomica.” This is an almost traditional salsa groove belied by the slightly dissonant harmonizer vocals. Percussionist Valencia truly shined on this one, unleashing a heady dose of cowbell and delay-treated splash cymbals, something she would do all night with a bright smile delivered with each bash.
photo by William A. Loeb
Álvarez introduced the next number, “Salsa Caliente,” as a salsa boogaloo. This was Plan 9 from Outer Space meets Tito Puente, with some groovy, new wave-y keys and sax accents from Ms. Valencia. The band’s 2022 album, Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento, was the source for several of the best tunes performed including “Metamorfosis,” “Hipnosis” and “La Policia.” The next song in the set, “La Policia, provided the space for an extended echo-y guitar solo from Álvarez. The band initially closed their set with the high-energy dance jam instrumental, “Guaracha U.F.O.,” from their 2012 album, “Desesperanza.” After a brief pause, they returned for an encore, their tropicalia take on the Dusty Springfield classic, “Son of a Preacherman.”
The Meridian Brothers’ wonderful show was the first concert of what promised to be a watermark one for Opus 40, which over the years has hosted many legendary performances, mostly notably the one by sax great Sonny Rollins chronicled in Robert Mugge’s documentary, Saxophone Colossus. Read our remembrance of it here.
Opus 40’s headlining events will include two nights with the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra led by 100-year-old Marshall Allen (July 5 and 6), London post-punk with Dry Cleaning (June 27), alternative R&B with Nick Hakim (May 29), reggae with Sundub & Upstate Reggae Posse (August 13), the Afro-Pop of Zimbabwe’s Mokoomba (August 2) and more. Opus 40 will also host Sunday afternoon shows highlighting homegrown Hudson Valley talent including Larry Locust, Biryani Boys, Blueberry, Mac $ Cheeze Balkan Trio and Spaghetti Eastern Music.
photo by William A. Loeb
“At Opus 40, I try to honor the musical legacy here with a curated selection of acts local and international, experimental and accessible, with a focus on spiritual jazz, ambient and singer-songwriters,” adds Mike Amari, Program Manager at Opus 40 and founder of local concert promoter, Chosen Family Presents. “Harvey Fite, who built Opus 40 by himself over 37 years, wanted his sculpture park to host events that uplifted the human spirit – just like his monumental earth art. So, this is why Opus 40 has committed so much effort and taken so much pride in bringing these incredible acts and many more community events to the site.”
“As for Meridian Brothers, I became obsessed with their brand of music via a compilation of ‘chicha’ music from Peru in the ‘60s/’70s called ‘Roots of ChiCha,’ continues Amari. “A friend who knew I liked this music turned me on to Meridian Brothers. They play some of the same ideas but chop them up and put them together in a Frankenstein-like, Krautrock-y way. It’s hypnotic, dissonant but somehow groovy and very danceable. For these reasons, they were the perfect act to launch our new season. It was the first night of their newest U.S. tour and they traveled for 24 hours to get here. So, we commend them on giving us such an energetic performance.”
Special props to the band’s sound engineer, Alejandro Araujo and the crew at Opus 40, for expertly balancing and EQing what could have easily descended into cacophony. This performance was more electric than the first I witnessed by the band at globalFEST 2023, an event co-programmed by another veteran Hudson Valley promoter, Isobel Soffer.
For a list at the Opus 40’s summer concert schedule, visit here.
Jam band powerhouse Pink Talking Fish bring their variety filled show to the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey on April 26. One Eyed Jack opened up the show with a funky set.
The band brings together a really fun medley of different bands. They started off their set with a Talking Heads cover “Life During Wartime”. The first set was Talking Heads heavy including “This Must Be the Place” & “Cities,” but that could technically be considered a cover of a Phish cover given the tempo. The first set also featured a playful “McGrupp” and a booming “Have a Cigar.”
Second set, what’s the band going to do? Play the whole instrumental part of “Reba”, yes! “Simple”? Yup! “Squirming Coil”!? Okay! The second set was Phish heavy with some Talking Heads covers like “Psycho Killer” and a memorable Floyd “Mother” cover. The band wrapped up the night with “La Grange”.
Pink Talking Fish – The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ – April 26, 2024
Set 1: Life During Wartime, Cars Trucks Buses, Have a Cigar, Cities, Mcgrupp, Run Like Hell, This Must Be the Place
Set 2: Once in a Lifetime, Reba, Mother, Psycho Killer, Simple, Astronomy Domine, What a Day That Was, The Squirming Coil, Nobody Home, La Grange
On Sunday, May 5, Ty Segall played the Beachland Ballroom in support of his latest album, ThreeBells. Sharpie Smile opened and played a great set. Just as Ty and his band took the stage you could hear a crackling noise. It sounded like it could have come out of the speakers, like some weird wet sounding feedback.
After the puzzled crowd looked around for a bit, everyone noticed that a sizable chunk of plaster from the venues old ceiling had fallen off on one side, and a piece was still left hanging in the balance. A hero from the venue used a precariously large ladder to grab the piece while an amused Ty and his band watched from the stage. After our hero pulled the plaster down, the crowd roared in approval and the show was once again on it’s way. I will also say that this is the only concert I have ever been to where someone from the venue came out and warned us to wear ear plugs. With no pit and myself situated right in front of the stage and about six inches from a guitarist amp, my tinnitus was happy I didn’t forget mine.
A Ty Segall show is probably not ideal when the state of the ceiling is questionable, his new album was heavily featured and it is certainly hard and blistering. Though as far as I am aware, the rest of the night went by without incident, even if it seemed like Ty and his other guitarist Emmett Kelly were egging each other on to bring down more ceiling.
Ty played a great set, with all of the hard rock proggy guitar solos you could want. The band really plays off Ty’s energy and the packed Cleveland crowd at it up. Some people don’t like it when a band plays so many new songs versus more of the hits, but I think prefer it. It shows that the band is still pushing forward and if they are excited about what they are doing it almost always translates to a better show. Next Ty heads out west before heading to Europe.
Setlist: The Bell, Void, I Hear, Hi Dee Dee, Emotional Mugger/Leopard Priestess, The Crawler, My Head Explodes, Imaginary Person, Waxman, Love Fuzz, My Best Friend, My Room, Wait, Looking At You
On Monday, May 6 in Brooklyn, at the newly reopened Brooklyn Paramount, Canadian pop-punk sensation Sum 41 took the stage for their farewell performance in New York City.
Earlier this year the band announced it was calling it quits after 27 years, going out with a bang while celebrating their amazing career. The farewell tour coincides with the release of the new double album, Heaven :x: Hell, which came out March 29 of this year.
The bill included opening act Joey Valence & Brae from Pennsylvania, an unexpected hip-hop duo, followed by The Interrupters, who are Los Angeles based and delivered an igniting set complete with confetti in the end.
To close out the night, Sum 41 of course! Being my first time seeing them, I have to say they put on an epic show, amazing production, filled with pyrotechnics, lasers, a beautiful light show and multiple use of streamers and confetti. A larger-than-life spectacle in a standing-room-only, sold out venue, is definitely the way to go, if you’re really gonna go.
Sum 41 – Brooklyn Paramount – May 6, 2024
Setlist: Motivation, The Hell Song, Over My Head (Better Off Dead), No Reason, Underclass Hero, Some Say, Landmines, Dopamine, We’re All to Blame, Walking Disaster, With Me, Makes No Difference, My Direction / No Brains / All Messed Up, Drum Solo, Preparasi a salire, Rise Up, We Will Rock You, Ring of Fire, Pieces, What We’re All About, Fat Lip, Still Waiting
Encore: Summer, Waiting on a Twist of Fate, In Too Deep
After a six-year hiatus from the road, The Decemberists kicked off their “A Peaceable Kingdom” North American 2024 tour at UPAC on Tuesday, April 30. The band is out touring in support of the soon-to-be-released album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. The night’s performance reassured the sold-out house that the band had not lost a step after a six year absence.
The Decemberists
Drawing from lead singer/songwriter Colin Meloy’s college days at Oregon State as an English and theatre major, the show’s structure offered up the feeling of a three-act rock opera.
Act one: a subtly lit stage. Meloy enters from stage right, acoustic guitar in hand. Taking his position center stage, Colin performs “Red Right Ankle” from Her Majesty the Decemberists. One by one, the additional band members make their way to the stage, collectively performing three more songs including the debut of “All I Want Is You.”
The Decemberists
Act two: the stage is fully illuminated and the band plugs in, diving headfirst into the music. While showcasing tracks from their latest album, The Decemberists did not disappoint longtime fans playing favorites from their twenty-plus year career, including “Make You Better,” “Sucker’s Prayer,” and engaging in a sing-along during “16 Military Wives.”
Act three: the encore. Pushing nineteen minutes on the new album, “Joan in the Garden” closed the night out. With the feeling of a prog-rock styled anthem, The Decemberists took their fans on a musical journey, moving through multiple states of intensity, culminating with an explosion of white light encompassing the entire room as the song concluded.
The Decemberists
A bonus for the night was the Chicago-based band Ratboys. Their indie-pop drive proved to be the perfect opening act. A four-piece group, fronted by singer-songwriter Julie Steiner, garnered praise from the crowd as their set progressed.
Raatboys
The tour continues through the spring and summer, closing in The Decemberists’ hometown of Portland, Oregon, on August 3, with Ratboys opening most dates.
Dan Navarro brought his decades of finely crafted songs and well-honed performance skills to a standing-room only house at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on Friday, May 3.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Navarro, who introduced himself by promising his audience “two hours of the most depressing songs you’ve ever heard”, delivered two sets of original contemporary folk songs, all of which he wrote or co-wrote, including “Circling The Drain”, which he opened the show with, “Bullet Proof Heart”, “Rose In The Window”, “Horizon Line” and “We Belong”. He performed on both six and twelve string Taylor acoustic guitars.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Dan preceded some of his performances with explanations as to how the song came to be written or the dynamics of co-writing. He talked of how co-writer Deborah Holland suggested he might want to listen to some lyrics she wrote for a song she’d titled “Circling The Drain”, to which he commented that he thought it was the “worst song idea I’ve ever heard”, and then she sent what she’d written so far and the song ultimately became their co-write of that title. He described how at one point he really didn’t think “We Belong”, which he co-wrote with long time songwriting and performing partner Eric Lowen, would amount to much, and then it became a huge hit for Pat Benatar and continues to appear in film, TV and countless other placements. And he described his long relationship with Eric Lowen as having been like that of an old married couple, saying: “We hung together for over thirty years, fought like hell and never had sex.”
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Dan Navarro graced the crowd with a wonderful and inspiring pearl of wisdom about life based upon his own experiences, saying: “If I’d have stood on my anger, my pride and my bitterness, I’d have never lived the life I’ve lived…or had the successes I’ve had…When you’re swimming in poison, regret and fear and someone reaches out with an olive branch…do it.” Then he launched into “Bulletproof Heart”, one of his solo writes, and told us after he finished the song that at a recent performance in Arizona, the woman who inspired the song showed up. He didn’t elaborate!
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Toward the end of the show, he told the audience that he continues to perform in his seventies simply because he loves it, and that that love of what he does drives him to the point that he doesn’t believe he can ever stop. Judging from the crowd’s reaction to his performance of song after song, his audiences will never stop showing up to listen.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Navarro was backed up by bass player/recording engineer Mark Dann of Woodstock, NY who varied between laying down supportive, mindfully chosen simple accompaniment to Navarro’s single note playing and weaving skillfully crafted, spontaneous, lead-guitar-like melodic base lines into Navarro’s chordal passages. Navarro pointed out that he and Dann had not had a single practice session, but that he’d given the bass player no more than a set list, and presumably the key and basic progression for each song. Mark Dann’s skills at producing spontaneous creativity were quite evident.
Mark Dann, bassist for Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
The show was part of Navarro’s continuing 2024 US tour, with NY performances at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs and Song Salon at Graveside Variety in Woodstock; and in support of his most recent solo album release, “Horizon Line”, and his duo album with James Lee Stanley, “All Wood and Led”, which he described as an acoustic “Laurel Canyon” reimagination of famous Led Zeppelin tunes, from which he played his version of “Whole Lotta Love”.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
In addition to his work for decades as a singer songwriter, which have included not only his own recordings, songs he has written or cowritten have been recorded and performed by Pat Benatar, The Bangles, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick and others. Navarro’s songs have appeared in films including Deadpool 2, Pitch Perfect 2 and Talladega Nights and TV series including This Is Us and The Office. And he has performed as a singer and voice actor in movies including Encanto, Coco, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, and Pirates of the Carribean 5, to name a few.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
During the show Navarro mentioned that it “means the world to me to be in this room” and told the audience that his ties to Caffe Lena go back to 1986 when he and his former co-writing and performance duo partner, Eric Lowen, sat in a field not far from Saratoga at Lowen’s parents’ house staring at the stars and Lowen told him about Caffe Lena’s rich history. Navarro first played at Caffe Lena in 1998 and has played and taught songwriting there on numerous occasions since.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
A tribute to Navarro’s songwriting skill was the presence of numerous New York State local and regional songwriters in the crowd – Michael Eck who recently performed at Caffe Lena with a release party for his CD “fermata”, Brad Cole of Rhinebeck who has opened for Dan, Carl Rubino who has co-written with Navarro, and CB Smith.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
For his final song, Dan and his bass player worked their way on to the middle of Caffe Lena’s packed floor where he did “We Belong” raw, with no mic or PA. His performance at this legendary listening room once again made evident how special the intimate performances of a smaller venue like Caffe Lena are. You just can’t get the same relationship between performer and audience in a stadium or even large hall.
Dan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe Lena
No stranger to Western NY, Tim McGraw brought his energy back to Buffalo on May 4, rocking the KeyBank Center. Playing in the area for the first time in 5 years, McGraw’s Standing Room Only Tour ’24 tour featured Carly Pearce and rising star Abby Anderson as openers.
Like many other regions, Western NY has taken a liking to country music and Tim McGraw over the years has played gigs in Buffalo, Darien Lake, Rochester, and Canandaigua, often on the same tour. With five prominent venues from Buffalo to Canandaigua, there is no shortage of fans or places to play.
Hitting the stage after Abby Anderson’s brief set, Carly Pearce came out to the hyped Buffalo crowd. With the hockey and football seasons both over for a while, Buffalonians needed something to keep then energized and Pearce did her part. She even bantered about illegal activities in Buffalo. Apparently, wearing slippers in public after 10pm is against the law, as is throwing a ball at an unexpected person’s head.
Since coming into her own with 2017’s “Every Little Thing”, Pearce has been a mainstay on country charts and stations across the country. While the thirty-four-year-old has her own style and sound, it is very reminiscent of the 90s country sounds of Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Miranda Lambert, with some vindictive tones. Such is the case with “What He Didn’t Do”. The song talks about a breakup and different sides of the story. While she won’t say he did, she will tell you what he didn’t do. Pearce urges fans that if they are in a relationship and they question why they are in it, it’s time to get out. Applause and cheers fill the arena as Pearce stands there looking teary eyed with an ear to ear smile.
That’s just dirty laundry I don’t need to air the truth So I ain’t gonna tell you everything he did But I’ll tell you what he didn’t do
Having worked with high profile names over the past several years, including Chirs Stapelton, Ashley McBryde, and Leann Rimes, Pearce has paid her dues and earned all the accolades. Included accolades are 2018 CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of The Year for “Every Little Thing” and 2021 CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. Keep your eyes on this talented musician as her career continues to gain steam going forward.
Setlist: Diamondback, Next Girl, Easy Going, Never Wanted to Be That Girl, Let’s Go to Vegas (F. Hill cover), We Don’t Fight Anymore, Every Little Thing, Country Music Made Me Do It, Truck on Fire, What He Didn’t Do, I Hope You’re Happy Now
Following a brief intermission, fans continued to fill the arena as lights go down and a solid red back drop illuminated the stage. Suddenly, a gargantuan silhouette of a guy in his famous Stetson hat appears and seemingly models for the crowd. The crowd erupts as the backdrop fades and Tim McGraw rises to the stage in Buffalo for the first time since 2019.
An ageless classic, McGraw is outfitted in his typical Stetson hat, tight fitting jeans, and ripped shirt. A musical GQ cover, some might say, is touring to promote his newest album Standing Room Only, released in summer of 2023
With nearly 30 years of music to choose from, the singer/actor delivers an impeccable setlist of classics and new music, with killer light show and animated backdrops changing for each song to tell the story.
Starting off the set, fans are treated to powerful rendition of “Truck Yeah”, a song about living the life of southern boy. The old pick up with blaring music, farm life and chasing the girl.
Rap or country, city farm It don’t matter who you are Got a little fight, got a little love Got a little redneck in your blood Are you one of us?
“Southern Voice” and “All I Want is a Life” round out the first three, and the crowd is just getting warmed up. Going word for word and matching the energy of each song is the game tonight. If only the Sabres could learn something about matching energy.
As I walk off to tuck photo gear and find my seat, the Buffalo faithful are serenaded with bluesy version of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”. There aren’t many songs from Elton than can be covered properly, but I’ll damned if McGraw didn’t take it to another level.
As the set continues, McGraw takes a moment to let the crowd know that he does not chatter much during his shows. Explaining why, he says he is married and has daughters. He knows that nobody will listen to him anyway.
Moving on, with songs like “One Bad Habit” and “Watch the Wind Blow By”, the backdrop screen plays videos and images of Tim and his wife, Faith Hill, a testament to his undying love to his wife. Having been married since 1996, they have the marriage that Ross and Rachel only dreamed of. A storybook marriage that has stood the test of time and fame.
Playing the title track from his most recent album, it is a song about living life and making the most of everything. Getting mad at things that don’t matter will get you nowhere, you need to embrace the challenges and make people envious.
Live a life so when I die There’s standing room only, standing room only Standing room only, standing room only
Rounding out his set, Tim comes out for a 3 song encore that is preceded by a video montage of the series 1883, which starred both him and his wife. Accordingly, “The Cowboy in Me” led things off, followed by “Humble and Kind,” and “Live Like You Were Dying”. “Humble and Kind”, although released by McGraw, was written by Lori McKenna as song to her children about everything she wanted her children to know. McGraw was able to put some new melodies to it and took it to the top in 2015. The following year, though, McKenna did release it on her album.
“Live Like You Were Dying” was released in 2004 and although never confirmed it tells about someone who has been stricken with a debilitating sickness. Singing about all the things you never had the chance to do or kept putting off for whatever reason, and now you must find a way to cross those things of the bucket list. A powerful and emotional song to close out the set that undoubtedly left some fans in tears.
Growing up, I was never a fan of country music. My entire family listened to it, except me. I was reluctant to attend a Tim McGraw show in 2004 as part of a marital bargaining chip. That show truly changed my take on country music going forward. Watching Tim and Faith on stage and how broad their talents were something to marvel at. Powerful, thought out lyrics, and amazing stage presence hooked me and now 20 years later, this happens. The world works in mysterious ways.
Tim McGraw setlist: Truck Yeah, Southern Voice, All I Want Is a Life, Tiny Dancer (Elton John), Just To See You Smile, Over and Over/Shotgun Rider, One Bad Habit, Watch the Wind Blow By, Something Like That, Where The Green Grass Grows, Standing Room Only, Red Ragtop, Highway Don’t Care (w/Taylor Swift), I like It I Love It, Felt Good on My Lips, Real Good Man
Encore: 1883 video footage, The Cowboy in Me, Humble and Kind, Live Like You Were Dying
A pair of indie rock’s most influential bands showcased two of their impactful albums on Friday, May 3rd at the MVP Arena in Albany, as The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie teamed up for an impressive co-headlining bill. The bands were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of their most celebrated albums (The Postal Service, Give Up and Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism), with each band performing their respective album in full.
The tour itself was born out of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Postal Service’s iconic (and only) studio release, Give Up. The album started as a collaborative effort between Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) and electronic wiz Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel). The album, which was praised for its creative efforts, saw the tracks written with the two mailing demo CD-Rs back and forth until reaching completion. The duo would eventually add Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) to the mix, and The Postal Service was born.
Wisconsin based Slow Pulp opened the show and provided a 35 minute set of dreamy, indie-pop tracks. From their opener, “Idaho”, the band had the early arriving crowd caught in a shoegaze induced trance.
The near capacity crowd had filled the seats when Death Cab For Cutie took to the stage. The band, all dressed in black, opened with the dramatic crescendo of “The New Year,” and continued on to perform their critically acclaimed album Transatlanticism in entirety. The album, which tells the tale of the struggles and emotions that come with a long-distance relationship, likely served as the soundtrack for many in attendance as they navigated love and loss during their adolescence.
Gibbard brilliantly wove the audience through the musical journey, which saw classic Death Cab tracks like “Title and Registration” and “Expo ’86”. Late in the set, Gibbard and his band mates performed epic renditions of the album’s title track, as well as “Passenger Seat,” both of which saw the arena illuminate with cellphone lights and even a lighter or two, a call back to the original era of this music.
Excitement was palpable through out the packed arena well before the house lights dimmed and The Postal Service made their way to the stage. Now dressed in all white, Gibbard, along with Jenny Lewis whipped the arena in to a frenzy from the opening synth notes of “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.” While the album would cover similar themes as Transatlanticsm, the sadness and sorrow were masked with upbeat synths, sounds, and drum loops, curated by Tamborello. Highlights of the set included Gibbard and Lewis dueting on “Nothing Better” as well as the dark and isolative “This Place is a Prison”.
Gibbard and Lewis would return to the stage to perform an acoustic rendition of “Such Great Heights”, an rendition of the Give Up track which was made famous by Iron & Wine. It was the second performance of the song on this evening, as the band had previously performed the more upbeat version during the main set. It was a treat for those in attendance to hear the diverse renditions of the song, and a testament to the songwriting and musical talents displayed on the album.
When Here Come the Mummies come to town, you know you’re in for a thrilling night of funk. For the unfamiliar, you’re in for a lyrical treat, in addition to the stellar musical performance from the wrapping cloaked mummies on stage.
This past Friday, May 3 at Empire Live, Troy-based Front Biz opened the night for Here Come the Mummies, dropping a choice set of indie rock that paired nicely with the funk that was on tap. This night marked HCTM first show back in the Capital Region since performing at Skyloft in late 2019.
Entering from the back of the venue, the Mummies walked out and wound through the crowd, a drumline sounding their arrival in grand fashion. Once on the stage, the group burst into “My Party,” and from there, the party took off.
What lay ahead was more than 90 minutes of venue shaking bass, multiple horn players swapping back and forth on solos and adding flare to each song, as well as a guitarist who shredded song after song, all keeping their identities under wraps. The group let their “Freak Flag” fly, led the crowd in “Ra Ra Ra”, got suggestive with “Hard at Work” and doubled down with “Pants.” The group’s hilarious lyrics (SFW but full of double and triple entendre) are engaging for the uninitiated, atop a funk foundation you can’t stop moving to.
With an encore of “Dirty Minds,” the party came to a close, a crowd covered in streamers that had been shot from the stage, celebrated the Mummies and cheered them on for more.
