McCarren Pool was the busiest I’ve seen, and Feist performed with perfection. I am always saddened by the image of her that has been created by people, though well-intentioned, who only know her through music videos and promo photos, or for that matter, through only studio recordings. She is no goddess, they say, and I say that too, but she saves rock and roll, and she must be watched live to believe this. It was only when she told the story of a Janet Jackson concert attendance at the age of 11 or 12, it struck me that her music, with its clear roots in blues and essentials of rock, is an honest representation of how “rock and roll” has collected, after gushes and falls and transformations and simplifications and complications, into this generation.
Bishop Allen’s The Broken String is being trumpeted as a soundtrack to the summer. Almost all songs from it were showcased at the band’s first stop this tour, a free summer show at Pier 17, where they sounded true to the claim. The touring drummer was introduced to us by his first name, Colin, and had much to do with the impressive energy of the performance, as did Justin Rice’s singing (especially when they decided to end with a cover of C.C.R’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”). Also present for the occasional use of trumpet and saxophone was Brooklyn’s Jon Natcez, who played three Bowery Ballroom shows with Beirut. The Ballroom also happens to be Bishop Allen’s next New York stop, on August 18th. Virb is streaming the new album in full.
Annie Clark’s weapon is her intent. Her grace is a swift punch packed with pointed articulation, and for this she has found the appropriate musical expression (aided by an assortment of gadgets at her feet, including an expressive kick drum, and the coupling of a regular microphone with a distorted one). Her angry, unrestrained outbursts on the electric guitar show off her control over the instrument, but her playing can hardly be classified as flamboyant or subtle. Instead, the power comes from the emotion she keeps sharpened, which results in clarity without being overbearing. Her singing takes on the same quality- it is the intention that provides shape to her voice that otherwise escapes easy categorization, and it’s this skill of Annie’s that makes her shows powerful, with or without a full band.
Denmark’s Under Byen brought back their pensive tunes to New York, this time at the all-age Knitting Factory’s Main Stage. The two drummers fitted themselves at the back of the small space, and cello, saw, violin, pedals, piano, guitar, bass were all in place to twirl around singer Henriette Sennenvaldt’s breathy indulgence. The only thing embarrassing when it comes to music as solemn as this, and performed with no shortcomings at that, is all the chattering you can hear from the audience, especially at a venue so small. There was undivided attention at the end of each song, however, when it came time to applaud and hoot. The band members don’t say a word, of course, and when someone yelled, “You have a beautiful voice!”, Henriette simply lowered her head slowly and rolled it back up.
The set was mostly filled with songs from the latest, Samme Stof Som Stof, though I think their older albums Det Er Mig Der Holder Traeerne Sammen and Kyst are the ones filled with indispensable showcase pieces. “Den Her Sang Handler Om At FÃ¥ Det Bedste Ud Af Det” from the new one, however, is a real winner played live.
A lot of love came Dan Deacon’s way at McCarren Pool. People offered him hugs, someone his sunglasses and another a bag of ice to keep cool (the first he warmly accepted, the last two politely declined). Most impressively, fans offered the kind of devotion that comes from being well-versed in all Deaconian traditions involving sing-alongs, chants and co-ordinated finger waves with stretched arms (whatever is the technical term for this particular move). I’m guessing it’s official: Dan Deacon is a movement!
While I was taking photos, Borchers was down in the pit:
As a 3rd tier opener for Octopus Project, Dan Deacon’s set was a fraction of what it usually is. But at about 5 feet from his signature, crowd-level table (equipped with his colorful gadgets), Deacon might as well have been a headlining act. The set was filled out by opener OCDJ, friend and fellow Baltimorite.
hooves on the turf is a mostly-music blog based out of brooklyn. i can be reached at hoovesontheturf [at] gmail [dot] com - please send me your lovely music as an attached mp3 or an mp3 link. if i like what you send, i'll be sure to ask for more.
