Category: New York City

Brandon Flowers 3/24/15

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(a) setlist

    1. The Way It’s Always Been (acoustic)
    2. Dreams Come True
    3. Crossfire
    4. Magdalena
    5. Hard Enough
    6. Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts
    7. Jenny Was a Friend of Mine (The Killers cover)
    8. Read My Mind (The Killers cover)
    9. Human (The Killers cover)
    10. Simply Irresistible (Robert Palmer cover)
    11. Swallow It
    12. Diggin’ Up The Heart
    13. Can’t Deny My Love

Encore:

  1. Right Behind You
  2. Only The Young
  3. Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)

(b) highlights

  • Brandon coming out before the “actual” start of the show to play “The Way It’s Always Been” for the fans that spent the whole day in the cold 🙂
  • getting to watch the whole crowd from the balcony – I rarely see shows from anywhere but the pit, so it was nice to look down on everyone and see the energy throughout
  • taking nice pictures for once; I took my old Canon Rebel XS to snatch good shots for friends
  • seeing Brandon’s solo material for the first time right alongside classic Killers’ material
  • “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” really changes when Brandon sings it alone – it nearly transforms into an acoustic love ballad…which is crazy considering the song’s content

(c) lowlights

  • goofy ass “Swallow It”
  • never getting to hear my favorite track off Flamingo, “Playing With Fire”
  • 90% of the backup band

(d) overall thoughts

Due to God, fate, and the worst food poisoning of all time, I managed to miss every live Brandon Flowers show during the tour for his 2010 debut album Flamingo, so I was elated that he was coming back around my town for his 2015 album The Desired Effect. At the time of this show, we still hadn’t heard most of the album and didn’t know what to expect, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear a mix of his older material, a few new ones, and several Killers’ gems that had mostly been reworked for the new context.

I chose to watch the show from the Webster Hall balcony to avoid the crowd and have my own little concert upstairs. My friends stayed down in the pit and it was a cool way to watch Brandon literally in a new light. It felt a bit like watching the concert from the outside looking in – a unique experience for someone who’s definitely a die-hard fan when it comes to that music. The most memorable moment for me happened before the show even began; Brandon walked onstage with just one backing band member and performed an acoustic rendition of “The Way It’s Always Been” as a thank-you to fans for waiting outside all day in the frigid New York March weather. I’ve never seen him make such a gesture like this towards fans, and it felt very special. The rest of the night, Brandon was quite comfortable onstage and the crowd was so high energy, especially during The Killers’ songs, that I couldn’t help but feel a warm glow inside.

Bottom line: If seeing The Killers is a bit like eating a bombass sundae with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and nuts on top, then seeing Brandon Flowers without The Killers is like eating a single scoop of vanilla ice cream: not as great as a sundae, but still something I’ll never turn down.

Cold War Kids 3/20/15

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(a) setlist

    1. All This Could Be Yours
    2. Miracle Mile
    3. Loner Phase
    4. We Used to Vacation
    5. Red Wine, Success!
    6. Audience
    7. First
    8. Louder Than Ever
    9. Hot Coals
    10. Hang Me Up to Dry
    11. Harold Bloom
    12. Tuxedos
    13. Drive Desperate
    14. Something Is Not Right With Me
    15. Hospital Beds

Encore:

  1. Bottled Affection
  2. Well Well Well (John Lennon cover)
  3. Hold My Home
  4. Saint John

(b) highlights

  • phenomenal setlist – singles, deep cuts, whatever – these dudes get song placement
  • just the show’s atmosphere, such intimacy and a garage-band jam feel about it
  • really dig the stage production – the lighting guy needs a raise or gold star
  • watching bassist Matt Maust pluck those bass strings is an other-worldly experience
  • “Harold Bloom” is hauntingly good, that John Lennon cover, basically everything

(c) lowlights

  • the crowd was shockingly young; seeing so many under 21’s at a show like this is always off-putting to me
  • Terminal 5’s Terminal 5-ness

(d) overall thoughts

Cold War Kids are one of the few bands that I instantly loved the moment I heard them. Their debut Robbers & Cowards is one of the best albums out there and I’ll always stand by that. I was supposed to first see them open for the White Stripes (!!) back in 2007, but that tour was cancelled because of Meg White-related troubles. That resulted in me having to wait eight years to see these guys, and this show is a long, on-going case in rectifying that.

I always say that seeing Cold War Kids live is like walking in a private garage-band jam session. It feels so stupidly intimate and personal and wonderful. The guys are crawling all over the stage, never standing still and idle, frequently hitting and bumping into one another in a way that makes every performance feel so special and unique. I’ve seen them quite a few times at this point and every show has felt different. This experience in particular was one of warm camaraderie – a brotherly love connection between band and audience.

This was one of the first shows in NYC for their fifth album Hold My Home, which has since given the band well-deserved mainstream praise in the most unexpected way. Their single “First” was actually the first time they had a number one hit, which, as a fan since 2005, makes me incredibly proud and totally baffled. How had it taken everyone so long to realize their greatness? I’ll always remember how wonderful Nathan sounded, how cool Matt looked, and how chillingly special each and every song made us all feel. When you see Cold War Kids, you feel them more than anything. And that’s the best part.

 

Bottom line: Every Cold War Kids show is an emotional experience more than a performance, and being in the audience feels more like a privilege than anything.

 

The Cribs 3/11/15

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(a) setlist

    1. Mirror Kissers
    2. An Ivory Hand
    3. Come On, Be a No-One
    4. Different Angle
    5. You Were Always The One
    6. Another Number
    7. Finally Free
    8. Our Bovine Public
    9. Martell
    10. Burning for No-One
    11. Glitters Like Gold
    12. We Share the Same Skies
    13. Pink Snow
    14. I’m a Realist
    15. Hey Scenesters!
    16. Men’s Needs
    17. City of Bugs

(b) highlights

  • the Mecury Lounge is super super tiny and super super cool; the Strokes got their start there in the early 2000’s and damn, does it look like it
  • the trifecta of “I’m a Realist,” “Hey Scenesters!,” and “Men’s Needs” = true perfection
  • Jarman Bros. banter, always
  • the dirty rock ‘n’ roll, lower east side punk-vibe of the entire show (aka getting kicked and punched but all in good fun, and never too much)
  • knowing a band I’d loved for 10 years still had all the flavor and spice I remember

(c) lowlights

  • the sound could’ve been better, but I’m pretty sure the “gritty exposed brick” of the venue was never intended for great acoustics
  • the crowd was half “their first album is the only good one” and half “I’m going to push everyone and everything regardless if I care about the song” but I totally still had a great time despite them all

(d) overall thoughts

The Cribs are freaking great. The Jarman Brothers are Yorkshire punk-y dudes who made mid-2000’s indie exciting and every album they’ve put out has been more interesting than the last, including the one they put out with Johnny Freaking Marr of The Smiths. (Some people act like that’s a casual, normal thing – for young bands to be great enough to work with Johnny Freaking Marr and that is not normal, that is next-level amazing.)

The energy was stupid high all night, the quips between Ryan, Gary, and (occasionally) Ross were as great as brothers’ quips can be, and the newer material still felt as fresh and fun as the older gems. Seeing The Cribs always feels like stepping into a time machine in a way – not in a sickly nostalgic way exactly – but enough to make you feel transported for an hour or so. There’s something intensely English about their sense of rock music and I’ve always loved that about them. Their shows are loud, wild, and always a riot. This one was no different. It was my second time seeing them live, but my first time seeing them in over eight years, and man, it was a total treat.

 

Bottom line: The Cribs always bring a good time and I have no shame in admitting I totally cried when “I’m A Realist” started because I’m a sap.

Jack White 1/30/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (The White Stripes cover)
    2. High Ball Stepper
    3. Lazaretto
    4. Hotel Yorba (The White Stripes cover)
    5. Temporary Ground
    6. Cannon (The White Stripes cover)
    7. Broken Boy Soldier (The Raconteurs cover)
    8. Love Interruption
    9. We’re Going to be Friends (The White Stripes cover)
    10. Three Women
    11. Black Math (The White Stripes cover)
    12. Top Yourself (The Raconteurs cover)
    13. Ball and Biscuit (The White Stripes cover)

Encore:

  1. That Black Bat Licorice (w/ Q-Tip)
  2. Excursions (A Tribe Called Quest cover w/ Q-Tip)
  3. Sixteen Saltines
  4. Astro (The White Stripes cover)
  5. Steady As She Goes (The Raconteurs cover)
  6. Would You Fight For My Love?
  7. Just One Drink
  8. Blunderbuss
  9. Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes cover)

(b) highlights

  • my friend won a lottery through Jack White’s fan club that let us automatically get in the venue first, which means front row center at Madison Square Garden = heaven
  • that SETLIST, Jesus
  • getting to hear that many White Stripes songs was a true treasure
  • I don’t know how or why, but “That Black Bat Licorice” was seriously next level – a damn near religious experience
  • the entire show’s audio streamed on xm radio, which made the whole experience that much more special
  • Jack was in a great mood, elevating each moment to a better place – his mood made the performance the best possible

(c) lowlights

  • I don’t know who I have to murder to hear “Icky Thump” live, but I would really like to know eventually, please
  • also willing to commit a small crime to hear the Dead Weather’s “I Cut Like a Buffalo,” but I suppose that’s a longshot that this point
  • Jack White is CRAZY about people taking photos during his shows (meaning, he’s stopped performing and caused a scene because of it), so no one took pictures throughout the show*
  • *(this isn’t actually a lowlight – it was nice that no one was distracted during the performance, but I wish I could’ve had a few keepsake photos of my experience)

(d) overall thoughts

For those who don’t know, Jack White is an…eccentric guy. As a performer, he doesn’t use conventional setlists or even really determine how long his shows will be before they’ve started. His band of touring musicians are a particularly skilled group of people who can equally perform each song with perfection and anticipate the unexpected when it comes to Jack. As an astute audience member, you can definitely sense the tension every so often on stage. Jack will start one song and turn it into something else halfway through. His violinist will pick up one fiddle and bow only to immediately put it down and pick up something else after Jack has changed the song seemingly mid-chorus. It sounds stressful, and sometimes anxiety-inducing to watch, but at Madison Square Garden, it made me excited. I had seen Jack White’s solo act twice before this show – once in a small outdoor venue and another at a huge festival – but it was at this show that he seemed most happy, comfortable, and effortlessly thrilled to be playing. He performs for himself, not the audience, so his art really speaks for him. Make of that what you will.

Jack’s second solo album Lazaretto was so strong to me, and this night really let those songs shine right alongside some true White Stripes classics. “High Ball Stepper,” “Temporary Ground,” and “Three Women” felt so fully embodied as songs that you wonder how they haven’t always existed. “That Black Bat Licorice,” even with the bizarre accompaniment of Q-Tip, felt so massive and so much bigger than that venue could even hold. Each song felt like taking steps a part of a greater journey, and I was so willing to take Jack White’s hand and let him lead me along the way. Regardless of how people feel about Jack, who has somehow become a point of controversy over the years, you can’t deny the presence of magic hearing 20,000+ people sing “Seven Nation Army” in such an iconic arena. That’s something you never forget.

Bottom line: Jack White is a true musician in every sense of the word, and experiencing his art live is a privilege…even if he sort of hates the audience in the process. I can live with that.

[All photos are by David James Swanson, Jack’s personal photog.]

 

Bonus Material!

My blonde head is too excited and jumping in and out of frame, but man, this song was beautiful.

 

Bloc Party 3/16/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Only He Can Heal Me
    2. Octopus
    3. Virtue
    4. Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
    5. Banquet
    6. One More Chance
    7. Different Drugs
    8. Exes
    9. So He Begins to Lie
    10. Hunting for Witches
    11. Positive Tension
    12. The Love Within

Encore:

  1. Heroes (David Bowie cover)
  2. Flux
  3. Helicopter
  4. Ratchet

(b) highlights

  • seeing one of my favorite bands of all time live for the first time (!!!!!)
  • “Song For Clay (Disappear Here),” “Banquet,” and “Helicopter” soothing my 16 year old soul
  • David Bowie cover (!!!!) and it was HEROES (!!!)
  • “The Love Within” and “Exes” – haters gonna hate
  • no, really, guys – I have loved Bloc Party since 2005, this was a DREAM show for me

(c) lowlights

  • probably the worst crowd I’ve ever seen in New York City
  • set was too short
  • I miss the original band lineup
  • everyone needed more energy

(d) overall thoughts

I’ve dreamed about this show for years. Somehow, Bloc Party was always the band that got away for me. I’ve adored them since the moment I heard “Banquet” in 2005 and, unlike most fans, have (mostly) enjoyed their newer work after the departure of founding members Gordon Moakes and the inimitable Matt Tong. Kele Okereke has always been a controversial frontman and some fans feel a strange betrayal on his part, but I still believe in this band. Though it’s unpopular to say, I enjoy the slow-burning quietness of their newest album Hymns, and – haters will hate – I totally dig singles, “The Love Within” and “Exes.”

I’m still partial to Bloc Party’s earlier work – particularly Intimacy and A Weekend in the City, an album that would undoubtedly make my Top 5 Desert Island List, and it’s clear the crowd at Irving Plaza preferred the early work too. Meaning no one remotely moved for anything other than songs written ten years ago. So irritating as a fan and must be for the band, as well. Regardless, Kele is a frontman and stood behind his work. Russell Lissack brought it on guitar in a way that endearingly made me feel like he’s still living in 2005, but there wasn’t much to say about the new members Justin Harris and Louise Bartle. The new rhythm section wasn’t bad in any way – they just feel like touring musicians in the shadow of their frontman.

I hope to see the band later this year at Gov Ball, and I hope both the band and crowd step it up for a great performance, not one that is merely good.

Bottom line: The expectations in my mind I’ve had for this show for years weren’t exactly met, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t bawl my eyes out for the back-to-back, heart-wrenching pair that was “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)” and “Banquet.” Step it up next time, Bloc Party, cause I love you a lot.

Bonus Stuff!

David Bowie’s “Heroes” cover:

 

Weezer 3/30/16

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(a) setlist

    1. California Kids
    2. My Name is Jonas
    3. Hash Pipe
    4. Back to the Shack
    5. L.A. Girlz
    6. El Scorcho
    7. The British Are Coming
    8. Pork & Beans
    9. Do You Wanna Get High?
    10. Cleopatra
    11. The Waste Land
    12. Thank God For Girls
    13. Say It Ain’t So
    14. The Good Life
    15. You Gave Your Love to Me Softly
    16. King of the World
    17. Island in the Sun
    18. Undone (The Sweater Song)

Encore:

  1. Beverly Hills
  2. Buddy Holly

(b) highlights

  • most. incredible. setlist. ever.
  • Weezer fans are the coolest, nicest, chillest people
  •  no, really, that setlist, wow
  • most fun, energetic crowd I’ve seen in a while

(c) lowlights

  • none; seriously – none

(d) overall thoughts

Weezer was probably the first real “band” I ever listened to. I think I was 6 or so the first time I heard “Buddy Holly” and “The Sweater Song,” and things were pretty much never the same. My older brother introduced me to the band, and even though his interest in the band waned over the years (in a similar trajectory to the general public [i.e. a lot of “original fans” falling off after Make Believe and even more after The Red Album and Raditude]), I’ve always loved Weezer for just being themselves – whatever form that may take.

Their 2014 album Everything Will Be Alright In The End felt like a comeback album in a lot of ways – and I thoroughly appreciated the work it featured – but everything about this year’s The White Album feels like a comeback in an even bigger way. Weezer is sounding more like their late 90’s and early 2000’s selves than ever before: catchy choruses, memorable melodies, and simply Rivers Cuomo-esque lyrics. Everything from “L.A. Girlz” and “California Kids” and my personal favorite, “King of World” felt solid enough to stand beside those early classics.

I’d only seen Weezer once before – at the Bowery Ballroom in October 2014 – so I was excited for this deeply intimate show at the tiny Warsaw in Brooklyn. From the moment the lights went down to the final notes of “Buddy Holly,” Weezer totally killed it. It’s almost startling these days to go to a show and hear hit after hit after hit after hit without the crowd or band losing energy once. It’s a testament to both Weezer’s discography and diehard fans when songs from completely different Weezer eras – “Hash Pipe,” “The Waste Land,” and “L.A. Girlz” receive nearly equal amounts of cheer upon first play.

Rivers Cuomo will always be Rivers Cuomo – in the best way possible. Brian Bell was in top form taking up the vocals on the classic fan favorite “You Gave Your Love to Me Softly” while Scott Shriner remained his usual classy bass-playing self, even picking up a double-neck bass on “The Waste Land.” Pat Wilson, a multi-instrumentalist, gave a classic performance on drums, sitting in the best seat in the house.

 

Bottom line: It was impossible to not have fun during the wild ride that was the phenomenal setlist, equally nostalgic and timeless performance, and exuberant crowd.

New Order 3/10/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Singularity
    2. Ceremony
    3. Academic (live debut!)
    4. Crystal
    5. 5 8 6
    6. Tutti Frutti
    7. Restless
    8. Your Silent Face
    9. People On The High Line
    10. Bizarre Love Triangle
    11. Waiting For The Sirens’ Call
    12. Plastic
    13. The Perfect Kiss
    14. True Faith
    15. Temptation

Encore:

  1. Atmosphere (Joy Division cover)
  2. Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)

(b) highlights

  • basically the entire setlist
  • new material sounding just as resonant and memorable as the classics
  • Bernard Sumner wearing his own band’s shirt
  • crying during “Crystal”
  • seeing one of my all-time favorite bands ever for the second time
  • Radio City Music Hall bathrooms = phenomenal

(c) lowlights

  • Bernard made the crowd choose between hearing “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “Blue Monday” cause the set ran over; everyone chose LWTUA, I wanted BM 😦
  • they didn’t play my faaaaaavorite song off their newest incredible album Music Complete, “Superheated”
  • the crowd was lame

(d) overall thoughts

I saw New Order for the first time at Lollapolooza in 2013 and their 2015 album Music Complete was one of my favorites of the whole year. I was psyched for this show. Musically, I wasn’t let down for the most part. My heart will never not implode upon hearing the first few notes of “Crystal” – a song whose music video forever immortalized my favorite band’s origin story. “Bizarre Love Triangle” will never not make me dance, “Ceremony” will never not make my heart race, and “True Faith” will never not transport me back to the summer of 2005 when I first really got into New Order. All Joy Division tracks live feel beautifully bittersweet live (though I always die a bit inside when those songs in particular are over-saturated with laser beams and flashing lights – is that an ironic homage to Ian Curtis??). Nobody could deny that newer tracks “Tutti Frutti” and “Restless” could remain setlist staples for the rest of the band’s career.

I was disappointed by the crowd, who was understandably older but confusingly refused to dance. Quit paying $$$ to sit down/stand still at concerts, people. Please stop. Would’ve love to hear the newer gem “Superheated” featuring The Killers’ Brandon Flowers and the classic “Blue Monday,” but curfews ruin everyone’s fun. The production and video graphics were top-notch, as always. New Order are truly unparalleled musicians in their ability to integrate visual art into their live performance. Would’ve been great to photograph from up-close, but I was further back in the orchestra.

Bottom line: The new material unarguably stands alongside the classics, Bernard Sumner feels like a teddy bear you want to hug, New Order should give their visual art designer a raise, and people need to start dancing more at shows.

 

Miike Snow 3/3/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Heart is Full
    2. Billie Holiday
    3. Cult Logic
    4. Genghis Khan
    5. Paddling Heart
    6. The Heart of Me
    7. Burial
    8. My Trigger
    9. Silvia
    10. I Feel the Weight
    11. Song For No One
    12. Black & Blue

Encore:

  1. Longshot (7 Nights)
  2. Animal

(b) highlights

  • seeing them live for the first time!
  • the intimacy of Le Poisson Rouge
  • bomb ass production
  • “Genghis Khan,” “Silvia,” and “Animal”
  • “I get a little bit Genghis Khan / don’t want you to get it on / with nobody else but me / with nobody else but me” = amazing

(c) lowlights

  • started late, not much to complain about

(d) overall thoughts

This was my first time seeing Miike Snow! It was their first performance in four years, supporting their third album fittingly titled iii, but nothing about it felt stiff. I normally don’t go to shows where I’m unfamiliar with the majority of the discography, but my roommate is a huge fan. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Andrew Wyatt’s stage presence along with the stage production and lighting let me buy into the Miike Snow Aesthetic. I’d only heard a few songs in passing, but found myself singing along to the infectious choruses and memorable melodies.

I’m writing about this show nearly two months after the fact and I still remember how much I loved “Genghis Khan,” “Silvia,” and “Animal” – the band’s stand-out tracks and coincidental fan favorites. Would love to see them again in a festival setting after relishing in the intimacy of Le Poisson Rouge.

Bottom line: Solid set, top-notch production, great crowd, would love to see these Swedish dudes again.

Muse 1/27/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Psycho
    2. Dead Inside
    3. Interlude
    4. Hysteria
    5. Map of the Problematique
    6. The 2nd Law: Isolated System
    7. The Handler
    8. Resistance
    9. Supermassive Black Hole
    10. Prelude
    11. Starlight
    12. Apocalypse Please
    13. Munich Jam
    14. Madness
    15. Undisclosed Desires
    16. (JFK Speech)
    17. Reapers
    18. Time Is Running Out
    19. Uprising
    20. The Globalist
    21. Drones

Encore:

  1. Mercy
  2. Knights of Cydonia

(b) highlights

  • that setlist – “Map of the Problematique” (!!) and “Apocalypse Please” (!!) in particular
  • the 360-degree stage set-up and other-worldly production, my god
  • being front row for the first time ever seeing Muse – unforgettable as all hell
  • the literal DRONES flying around inside the venue – ain’t no time for subtlety here
  • quote of the night from my friend, who was seeing Muse for the first time: “Matt Bellamy could win American Idol!”
  • Chris Wolstenholme’s general existence
  • getting Dom’s drumstick (!!!)

(c) lowlights

  • they didn’t play my all-time favorite Muse song “Stockholm Syndrome” or my favorite song from the new album “Revolt” 😦
  • drone warfare can be, uh, a touchy subject

(d) overall thoughts

Wow, do I love Muse. For some reason, the band has attracted a particular brand of haters over the last decade or so, which never cease to amaze me because I literally cannot fathom how anyone could hate a band that has seriously redefined the idea of spectacle and performance in rock ‘n’ roll. I’ve seen Muse a lot – a couple of times for every album since 2006’s Blackholes and Revelations – and every time has been a capital E “Experience.” This one at the Barclays Center proved they’re not holding back or slowing down on monumental stage design or stadium-size production levels, but aiming even higher to perform and impress. With a huge, rotating 360-degree stage, two side stage wings with an accompanying runway, a dozen or so real-life flying and glowing drones, and one inflatable fighter jet, Muse dismiss symbolic subtlety and quiet political commentary for the best damn circus in town you’ve ever seen.

Matt Bellamy and Chris Wolstenholme were all over the stage(s), playing glowing guitars with equal parts power and grace, and damn, it was so much fun to watch. Dom Howard, though stationary, never failed to amaze from his spinning drumming stool. Though somewhat of a minority, I enjoyed their latest album Drones and found myself wrapped up in the world that Muse created in their music – presumably the one we’re living in now, only with more paranoia, violence, and impending doom. But also – hope! It’s incredible to think that just hours before the show I lamented to one of my friends how much I would love to hear an older classic like “Map of the Problematique” only for them to actually play it! I always think, when it comes down to it all, Muse is comprised of just three dudes – a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer – but their sound can fill arenas on par with full orchestras. Each note, guitar wail, and lyric feels so fully-embodied and emotional in such a real way. So many moments during this show reminded me of that.

With very little to complain about, I have to admit that perhaps the only drawback to the literal inclusion of drones and military warfare via screens and the occasional soldier walking around the stage (seriously), was not the inherent heavy-handedness of the political message, but the insensitivity of the act; a couple of English dudes projecting “My father was killed by drones” and “my sister was hit by a drone” can feel slightly disingenuous even though that wasn’t the band’s intent. Muse have become a bit of a “message band” over the years, and I actually quite like that, but I never want my friends to feel uncomfortable at a show and a few of them were. Regardless – in my opinion – the performance itself was enough of a statement for the validity of modern day rock ‘n’ roll than any verbose political statement might’ve been.

 

Bottom line: Muse are some of the best damn musicians around – true masters of emotional performance art and experiential music – and I will always stop everything to see them perform, especially when they’ve got something to say.

The Last Shadow Puppets 4/11/16

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(a) setlist

    1. Aviation
    2. The Age of the Understatement
    3. Used to Be My Girl
    4. Calm Like You
    5. The Element of Surprise
    6. Dracula Teeth
    7. She Does the Woods
    8. Miracle Aligner
    9. My Mistakes Were Made For You
    10. Only the Truth
    11. Bad Habits
    12. Pattern
    13. Everything You’ve Come to Expect
    14. Meeting Place
    15. Sweet Dreams, TN
    16. In My Room

Encore:

  1. I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (The Beatles cover)
  2. The Dream Synopsis
  3. Standing Next to Me

(b) highlights

  • Hearing my favorite song from Age of the Understatement, “My Mistakes Were Made for You” (!!!)
  • Accepting the true romantic-comedy act that is Alex Turner and Miles Kane
  • the string section
  • that Beatles cover!!!
  • Turner’s semi-embarassing tambourine swing and hip sway

(c) lowlights

  • “Aviation” didn’t quite hit home live like it does on the album
  • Miles Kane has essentially become Alex Turner’s “hype man” instead of true musical partner
  • Kane’s gold chains, Turner’s pinkie ring and absurd art smock outfit

(d) overall thoughts

This was my first time seeing TLSP and I loved their first album Age of the Understatement, but never got to catch them for that. I’m a long-time Arctic Monkeys fan, despite being slowly turned off by the “persona” Alex Turner has taken on since roughly 2009 circa the release of Suck It and See. Their newest album Everything You’ve Come to Expect feels quintessential to Turner and Kane, but its deep cuts don’t feel as strong as their previous work, and they fail to recreate the cinematic aura so prevalent on their debut.

Bottom line: Enjoyable show, loved hearing some of those fantastic songs, but everyone could’ve used less hair gel and gold chains.