Posts about Town Hall
Download “The Night Starts Here” (from In Our Bedroom After the War)
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From the sound of this first peek and the title of their forthcoming album (In Our Bedroom After the War), Stars seems to be still weaving from the space where they’ve garnered most inspiration: the bedroom. A bedroom that witnesses the rise and the fall of a relationship, never not looking out to the same swaggering and staggering of the world outside. The album is coming to the US on September 25th, and the band will be playing Town Hall on October 18th. Pre-sale will be here.
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After all the exposure to magazine spreads featuring Feist’s pretty face, it was much relief to see one my favorite badasses in person. Her live version of songs have always been more gutsy (and often more blues-y), but the material from her latest, The Reminder, does especially well. “My Moon My Man,” for example, sounded almost legendary. “Sea Lion Woman,” which has been a live favorite ever since she started playing it, was an absolute blast and a great choice for the encore. Feist’s boyfriend (and Broken Social Scene frontman) Kevin Drew made an announced entrance for a solo piano accompaniment to a slow version of “Lover’s Spit.” But he also casually came back with a tambourine for “Sea Lion Woman,” dancing away silly with Bryden Baird, Feist’s trumpet player. It was a great sight.
More after the jump.
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Brooklyn’s own Grizzly Bear are on tour with Feist, and they played a sparkling set at Town Hall on Monday night. It was awesome to see a band play every note and sing every melody as intended. This performance really showed that the roles they’ve found for each member, with all four singing at various times, is a reflection of their organic coming-together. They fit right into each other. I was seated in front of drummer Christopher Bear, whose every nuanced movement produced great, refined sounds. Bassist Chris Taylor was often on his knees to play the flute, but I especially enjoyed it when he stood up to sing in a high voice.
More after the jump.
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For this tour Sufjan has given himself to the spirit of the Majestic Songbird, and his remarkable crew he should feel blessed to have, and I’m sure he does, is his Butterfly Brigade. This show was a delicious slice of what Sufjan seems best at offering: a synergy of storytelling, musicianship, and performance. In order to qualify, storytelling must involve a predatory wasp, musicianship must involve mastery over a mini orchestra, and performance must involve wings, masks, and Superman balloons and Santa Claus balloons flying out of the stage into the audience, depending on whether you’re singing about the Metropolis or the worst Christmas ever.
All pictures after the jump.
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From what I could discern Regina said playing the Town Hall made her feel like a professional (if it makes a difference, Elijah Wood was there to see it as well). Her band joined her half way through the set, for what I believe was the first time. I saw her last at Warsaw in Williamsburg, where she’d performed songs from her new album, Begin to Hope, solo. To me these solo versions are far more beautiful, but the band (a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer) does give her a chance to “rock out” with Your Honor, also for what I believe was the first time. Before they played it she said she was scared for what was to happen (and, of course, giggled through all the fun switches to her solo parts).
Her shows tend to have a treat not captured in recordings, so I just hope she continues to play smaller venues where shows are best enjoyed and the tickets are cheaper.
