New Pornographers/Vampire Weekend @ Bowery Ballroom: I Gotta Take a Leak So Bad I Can Taste It

Hey, everybody! I saw the New Pornographers tonight ... again ... for the ninth time. I really should just copy and paste previous posts to make it look like I have something new to say.

The reason to attend tonight is obviously to see them in a small venue before they venture out in October on their mid-sized venue tour with Neko Case and Dan Bejar in tow. Everyone always asks, "Is Neko going to be there?" or "Is Dan going to be there?" Please. Just go.

While it's a treat to see them in Bowery, tonight's performance was all over-the-place, with technical difficulties hampering their playing and singing abilities. It was only about halfway through where everything finally clicked together. It was just a strange night all around, with the banter factor cranked up to 11.

The setlist:

• All the Things That Go To Make Heaven and Earth
• Use It
• The Laws Have Changed
• All the Old Showstoppers
• Jackie Dressed in Cobras
• Challengers
• The Spirit of Giving
• Mass Romantic
• From Blown Speakers
• My Rights Versus Yours
• The Jessica Numbers
• Go Places
• Mutiny, I Promise You
• Twin Cinemas
• Sing Me Spanish Techno
• The Bleeding Heart Show
• Encore: Letter from an Occupant
• The Slow Decent Into Alcoholism
• 2nd Encore: Miss Teen Wordpower
• It's Only Divine Right (I think, I left to pass out ATJ postcards)

The band's fourth album, Challengers, came out today. After listening to 2005's Twin Cinema, you can tell the band was inching towards a more fuller sound. This time around, they made the leap with backing string and wind instruments to come away with an enticing sound that reminds me of mid-70s bands like Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac. It's less in-your-face pop and more cerebral. I want to say "more mature" but some of these guys and gals are pushing late 30s. I'm thinking more of an adult contemporary sound, but with much more vibrant sounding. The last song on album, "The Spirit of Giving" is a wow of song.

As I mentioned, the show as a whole was strange and awkward at times. Carl stopped the first song to adjust his guitar, while Neko couldn't hear herself through most of the show. To lighten things up, Carl was in rare form -- doling out one-liners and tangents. My favorite was a five-minute discussion of the best lines from 1983 McKenzie Brothers comedy, Strange Brew. His favorite line being the title of the post. I had to remind him about my favorite scene, where Doug tries to get a refund for sticking a mouse in a beer. "I get a refund, aye?"

Another subject was the band's new album being available at Target for $9.99. That seem to be a running gag. The funny thing that Carl brought up was that the New Pornographers were suppose to play Bowery in November 2001 with Spoon, but they dropped out to tour with Cake. I know, I went to that show. Yeah, sue me, I went to a Cake show. It was B.B., before blog.

Anyway, the banter subsided when the sound was corrected. As Carl commented, it was in the contract to talk the same length between songs as the songs themselves.

I'm sure people felt bad that it was not their best performance wise. I was getting worried because Neko had the look on her face of "this show sucks." When "Mass Romantic" was played, that lifted everyone up and then all was right with the show.

Although I'm not picky on which members shows up to which gig, I definitely looking forward to hearing Dan sing his songs live from the new album. 

When Carl had to stop the first number, he commented that someone should be fired for booking Vampire Weekend to open because they might overshadow the gig. The local act, who are set for some recognition with a new record deal with Beggar's Group, are hotly tipped for their stripped down, but melodic indie sound. I think if you ask five people what they sound like, you'll get five different responses. I think they're like a 80s ska-pop without the horns because they have an almost island feel to their songs. Take "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa". I like the complex guitar melodies that uncut all the songs. It's very easy to enjoy. I also found it funny that a couple of their songs remind me of other songs. One sounded like Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?," while another sounded like Tom Petty's "Don't Do Me Like That."

 

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[eugenen]

Last song was "letter from an occupant"