Vincent Moon of La Blogotheque has outdone himself. You’d think that with the take-away shows’ outright goodness and the final inclusion of Sufjan Stevens in it, our beloved Stevens would steal the show, but he doesn’t. My Brighest Diamond comes really close, though (and yes that is The National guitarist performing with them). You may scroll down for a quick fix of Sufjan, but here is the real deal:
“The Lakes of Canada”
I won’t take it for granted that nobody died during the making of this.
Bowerbirds was a treat to watch at Bowery Ballroom, when they opened for Ladybug Transistor and The Rosebuds last night. The sound that is captured in their recordings is even more elegant live, and the performance reaffirmed the fine quality of Phil Moore’s and Beth Tacular’s voices. It was a soothing set faithful to the recordings, rarely interrupted by any talking. “In Our Talons,” with its energetic chorus, was beautifully rendered. Friend Mark Paulson was also present, switching between bass drum and violin (Beth switched between bass drum and accordian). For the last song they played “Dark Horse,” and two members of the Rosebuds came out to sing the exiting refrain. Almost half the space had filled up through their early set, but it shouldn’t be long till Bowerbirds plays to a devoted audience.
Next to its performance space, Union Hall has one of the most beautiful bathrooms. Stylish sinks against one wall and unisex stalls against another. These have full-length, wooden doors for privacy, with a sign that changes between “Vacant” and “Occupied.” Here, Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes claimed, was a pervert on the loose. He began the show by asking if anyone had seen him. He explained: a woman had opened a door that said “Vacant,” and the man inside had responded, “Oh, come in.” When the singer asked if the pervert was in the audience, several hands went up.
Alex Delivery video and other curious incidents after the jump.
