3 posts tagged “set list”

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater

Initially, I was a bit dismayed when I found out that Antony and the Johnsons would be playing the Pantages Theater on Valentine’s Day. His music has an underlying melancholy and heartache to it that I wasn’t sure would fit well with America’s most saccharine of holidays. But the show turned out to be the perfect antidote to all that sugary artificial sentiment, for Antony’s performance was about as real as they come, and was one of the most stripped down, vulnerable performances I’ve seen in recent memory.

Taking his place on the bench of the grand piano where he would stay the entire show, Antony and his backing band of six musicians came out to a warm ovation from the near capacity crowd at the Pantages. The musicians (or Johnsons, if you will) consisted of a drummer, bassist, cellist, and three others that swapped instruments throughout the entire show, switching from violin to acoustic and electric guitars, oboe, and saxophone during the course of the set. The orchestra provided stellar support to Antony, whose delicate and understated piano playing often guided the song forward at the onset, but never really became the focus of the arrangements. That focus was placed squarely on Antony’s beguiling falsetto, which carried the night to its exalted heights and kept me awestruck and captivated all evening long. His voice does take some getting used to, being part cabaret/part operatic, but it’s filled with a level of emotion and honesty that isn’t found in most modern music, and imbues his music with a haunting, impassioned lucidity that is rare in any art form these days.

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater

The stage remained shrouded in darkness throughout the performance (explaining the lack of quality in my photos), with the lighting and backdrop done up in understated white tones. Antony eased into the evening with “Where Is My Power,” a b-side to the “Epilepsy Is Dancing” single, taken from Antony’s brilliant new record The Crying Light. Things got a bit more solemn with the touching, eloquent “Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground,” whose lyrics “In the garden with my mother I stole a flower” took on added significance by the fact that Antony’s mother, father and brother were all in attendance. He alluded to his time spent in Minneapolis by telling a story about walking by First Avenue earlier in the day, realizing the last time he’d been there was when his father took him to see Nina Hagen. He was too young at the time, so his dad had to get him in. Antony laughed when he said his father only stayed for a couple songs. “Epilepsy Is Dancing” was next, and it was a soaring tour de force. It’s truly an epic, heartbreaking track that escalated nicely to a dramatic, stunning finish. “One Dove” gave the band a chance to show off their chops a bit, with a stirring oboe solo that added a gorgeous layer to the song. The show really didn’t have any low points, other than very slight pacing problems, for the song selection was perfect throughout the set, and all the tracks were performed with an elegance and candor that isn’t often found in the music industry these days.

Other standouts from the superb set include “For Today I Am A Boy,” “Another World” and a version of “You Are My Sister” that brought forth audible gasps amongst the crowd around me. It was as moving and passionate as music can be, a touching ode to the dreams of loved ones getting realized, again made even more enthralling knowing that his family was in the crowd. “Twilight” followed, and was simply stunning, made even more so by the accompaniment of the orchestra, who guided the song to its tender finish along with Antony’s skillful piano work.

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater

The night did have some lighter moments, like the bands playful cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love,” that started out simple and sounded quite improvised, but took on added weight as Antony breathed new life into the lyrics and the band provided a steady accompaniment while Antony lost himself in the song. And, when that song was quickly followed by a soulful rendering of “Fist Full Of Love,” the pairing of seeing Antony on Valentine’s Day started making perfect sense. His songs are indeed filled with love, after all, either searching for it or remembering love lost. Either way, it was more of a tender, joyous affair than I was expecting, even with Antony struggling to find words after someone in the crowd wished him a happy Valentine’s Day. He sat silent at the piano bench, explaining how he didn’t have anything special planned, trying to find words to signify the day, and just couldn’t. Later in the show, he encouraged all of us to YouTube the “Hamster at the Piano” video, that the video would be his Valentine’s Day gift to us. Which is silly, in the end, since sharing his music with us was always going to be the best gift of them all.

After a rousing, electrified version of “Aeon” closed out the main set, Antony and his band left the stage to a standing ovation from the adoring and respectful audience, who were stone silent during most of the set, except when Antony invited us to have a conversation with him after he came out for the encore (which never seems to work out well in any show, and didn’t on this evening). Antony rambled on a bit about spoonfuls of peanut butter, and joked about how he had a few lately and was hoping that one of them would be “the magic spoonful that would send him to his grave.” But he was honestly horrified to find out that three people had died in Minnesota from salmonella poisoning linked to peanut butter, and begged our forgiveness for his insensitivity. It was a minor diversion before the encore began with a wonderful version of “Cripple and the Starfish” that again showed the talent and dexterity of the orchestra, who gave the song a mournful edge with their delicate accompaniment. The show finished the only way it could, with a jaw-dropping version of “Hope There’s Someone” that enraptured all in attendance with its stark, plaintive lyrics and Antony’s vulnerable, unadorned plea for someone to be there when he needs them most. It was absolutely beautiful. And everyone that gave the band another standing ovation as they left the stage seemed to agree.

So, spending Valentine’s Day with Antony and the Johnsons wasn’t such an odd pairing after all, with Antony’s honest, heartfelt lyrics playing the perfect foil to all the insincere sentiment being sold to us everywhere we turn. The performance was as sincere and genuine as any I’ve seen recently, and was far and away my favorite show of the young year.

Antony & the Johnsons @ Pantages Theater Set List

Please see my original review and much more @ www.culturebully.com. Cheers!

Conor Oberst has finally found a band he can get completely lost in. After years of trying, with all the various lineups and incarnations of Bright Eyes, and even having The Faint as his backing band for a tour, Conor has finally found a group where the spotlight isn't constantly focused on him. Gone are the days when a nervous kid recited his delicate poetry over the hushed strumming of his acoustic guitar to often awed and adoring audiences; the new Conor is raising hell and a mighty racket with his Mystic Valley Band, and not looking back. He's clearly having more fun this way, and it makes me seriously wonder if most, (the band has played 'Lua' and 'Bowl Of Oranges,' occasionally during recent sets) if not all the Bright Eyes material, (none were played at last nights show) has been retired for good or just for now.

Playing with essentially the same lineup that was featured at the 400 Bar shows in December, when the songs on the new record 'Conor Oberst' were being fleshed out by the band for the first time in public, (guitarist Nik Freitas, bassist Macey Taylor, Jason Boesel on drums, Nate Walcott on keys, with the only new addition being Taylor Hollingsworth on guitar) Conor has unquestionably reached a comfort level with the musicians and the new material, allowing for a loose (perhaps too loose at times) and entertaining show. The show also featured plenty of brand new songs that aren't on the new album (or the four song tour-only e.p. 'Gentleman's Pact') which leads me to believe this Mystic Valley Band isn't going anywhere for the time being.

The show actually began with one of those brand new songs, 'Nikorette,' that was loud, rocking, and soulful. Conor was immediately engaged and enthused, climbing onto speakers and spitting out billowy streams of spit as he emphatically delivered his lyrics. 'Sausalito' was up next, and with the additional guitar, it was turned into quite an emphatic, rowdy rocker, and was quickly followed by 'Get Well Cards,' which became a bit of a crowd (and band) sing along, continuing the boisterous, guitar heavy start to the show. Conor and the band were in great spirits, clearly enlivened by returning to the city that Conor referred to as "one of the three homes that the band has." (with Tepoztlán, Mexico, where the album was recorded, and Billings, Montana, where Taylor made his live debut with the band, being the other two.)

This particular Mystic Valley Band was a much tighter and confident bunch than the tentative band that was still learning the new songs at the 400 Bar, and it showed throughout the night. But it was Conor clearly leading the way on the exquisite 'Cape Canaveral,' with the band muting themselves so the lyrics could guide the song home. The chorus of 'victory is sweet even deep in the cheap seats,' clearly resonated with an audience that is as prepared as Conor and the band are for change to come on Tuesday. It was the high-water mark to the start of the set.

New song 'Slowly,' was next up, and it was anything but slow. Another rambunctious rock song that again found Conor climbing the speakers and drum stand, invigorated by the freedom the MVB was providing for him musically. He could hand over the vocals and guitar leads to anybody in the band (everyone except Nate sang lead vocals at some point during the night), and just fade into the background, content to let the song be the focal point and not him. The show hit a bit of a lull somewhat after that spirited number, and it lasted until the band played a bluesy, downright funky version of the standard 'Corina, Corina,' made famous by heralded local son Bob Dylan (who will be playing his own potentially politically charged local show on Election Night at Northrup).

That cover revitalized the show, which carried over into emphatic versions of 'NYC-Gone, Gone,' that was a stomping, uproarious jolt that carried over seamlessly into 'Souled Out,' which found the band turning up the volume and the discord, and Conor starting to show slight signs of inebriation as he bounded about the stage. But he settled down enough to deliver a stunning version of 'Milk Thistle,' with just Macey on stage with him, that closed the main set as the rest of the band left the stage. It was the night's only glimpse into Conor's musical past with Bright Eyes, with the focus and the spotlight falling squarely on him and his lyrics, and it was a potent reminder of his strength as a songwriter.

But his new direction with the Mystic Valley Band was made entirely apparent by the encore, when he didn't even sing lead vocals on both of the first two numbers. Taylor sang lead on the countrified and tragic 'Snake Hill,' and Jason sang lead on 'Sundown,' with Conor content to just sing backup and cavort around the stage with his acoustic guitar, clearly pleased to let others sing for a change. He was just a guy in the band, completely at ease and simply part of the whole, not the hub. He dedicated a rousing cover of Paul Simon's 'Kodachrome' to the people that introduced him to the song way back when, and the band and the crowd clerly had a lot of fun with this one, with lots of dancing and smiling spreading throughout First Ave. And that shared vivacity continued with 'I Don't Want To Die (In A Hospital)' the song I remember most from the 400 Bar shows. And it's good to see that the added practice didn't rob the song of it's initial zest and unbridled verve, perhaps even added to it, and Conor's lubricated performance even carrying over to play one of the worst (but thankfully brief) keyboard solo's I've ever heard. It was just another clear example that Conor has been freed from the pressure of being the focal point of the band, and now he's just another guy making noise on stage.

When he stayed at the keyboards for the next song, however, I was a bit worried, considering how his last attempt went, but the show closed with Conor leading the band through an absolutely gorgeous rendition of 'Breezy,' from the 'Gentleman's Pact' e.p. It was an emotional highpoint of the show for me, and is such a tender, truly moving song, that the band felt the need to bring one last bit of dissonance into the tune before the final verse, making a rousing racket to perhaps mask the stark poignancy of the lyrics a bit.

It was an exhilarating, confident return to Minneapolis for Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band. One that found Conor being just a boy in the band, as opposed to these numerous labels the media has unfairly hung on him over the years. And freed from that pressure, Conor and the band played an untethered, spirited set, clearly enjoying sharing the stage and the spotlight with each other. And while I can't help but feel with this show the same way I do every time I see Stephen Malkmus --how can they go onstage and not play any of those brilliant songs they have in their back pockets?--I have confidence that Conor is committed to the cause and taking his music in a good, positive direction, and clearly having fun while doing it. And who can truly fault him for that.

SETLIST (Courtesy of Carl @ Cakein15.com):

Nikorette
Sausalito
Get Well Cards
Cape Canaveral
Moab
Slowly
I Got a Reason #1
Spoiled
Corina, Corina
I Got a Reason #2
NYC--Gone, Gone
Souled Out
Milk Thistle

Encore

Snake Hill
Sundown
Kodachrome (Paul Simon Cover)
I Don't Want To Die (In A Hospital)
Breezy              

"It's really, really good to be back here," proclaimed TVotR's guitarist/singer Kyp Malone, shortly after arriving on stage to a full First Avenue Mainroom. Monday's show was the first of a two-night residency at First Ave for the band (and the I.D. show. All ages is tonight), one of only two two-night stays the band has on their current US tour (the other was in their hometown of Brooklyn.) So, the band knows it has a pretty rabid fanbase in Minneapolis, and the packed and passionate audience greeted them warmly.

 So warmly, in fact, that the band had to extend it's intro to 'Young Liars,' to allow for the applause to die down. And what a sensational way to start. 'Young Liars,' found the band putting the pedal down early, finding their grove right from the get go. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe certainly found his comfort zone quickly, gyrating and shimmying around the stage in time to the beat, all the while delivering his impassioned vocals with aplomb. And they certainly kept the momentum going with a fervent version of 'Wrong Way,' which built to quite an intense crescendo, helped along with the addition of Martin Perna from Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra on saxophone. It was an interesting way to start off the concert, part of a tour for their excellent new record 'Dear Science,' with two of the oldest songs in their cannon, but the fuse was certainly lit, and the band built on that energy with a fiery version of 'Golden Age' that was the first new song of the evening, and got the crowd around me dancing, as most of the new tracks would throughout the night.

The new record is very steeped in horns, and the live tracks would have been missing something had Martin not been there, and his presence was a welcome addition to nearly every song. Another new member of the touring band was Katrina Ford, lead singer of the band Celebration, whose debut record not only was produced by TVotR's Dave Sitek, but features guest appearances from all of the band's members on vocals on various tracks. While I don't think her vocals were high enough in the mix to be heard completely, she has a lovely voice and an exuberant stage presence, and was a pleasant female addition to the rather testosterone heavy lineup.

I do believe the band hit a bit of a lull after 'Golden Age,' or perhaps there was just no way to keep up the intensity of the first three songs, because while I really enjoyed hearing the new songs 'Crying,' and 'Halfway Home,' the songs seemed to be a bit restrained when performed live, and I couldn't help but notice that the band lost the rapt attention of the audience around me during these numbers. That's not to say that the gradual buildup of 'Halfway Home,' and it's subsequent explosion of sound at the end didn't stir me, because it did, and it certainly got the attention of the crowd back as well. Which is a good thing, because the place really went off during 'Wolf Like Me,' with the main floor awash with dancing, fist pumps, and pogoing. I personally think this is one of the best rock songs written in the 'Aught's' (is that decade reference really catching on?), certainly one of the best to get any radio play, and apparently so did the audience, who collectively lost it during this number. It was great to see the energy of the band transferred to the audience, and back again, as the band was dancing and pogoing along with the audience.

And really, from this point on the concert was incendiary, with hardly a break to catch one's breath. It would be hard for an average band to play anything after 'Wolf Like Me,' which is why most band's would save a single like that for their last number, knowing they couldn't top it. But TV On The Radio aren't an average band, not by a long shot, and they kept rolling with 'Dirtywhirl,' that was a perfect near comedown from the heights of 'Wolf,' which blended perfectly into a stunningly beautiful version of 'Province,' again aided by the addition of Katrina and Martin. 'Province' was absolutely beautiful, and most assuredly would have been the highlight of the set on a typical night, but again, this was not a typical night. This was the most creatively consistent American band making music today, and they had a full arsenal of hits left.

Going into this show, the song I wanted to hear most (and the one I've listened to the most) from the new record was 'Shout Me Out,' and what do you know, it was next. This song really is an exultant call to arms, a sonic eruption that instead of being discordant, is instead unifying and brotherly. "Storm, cast me out. So I can feel it in another way I won't talk about...Lord, if you got lungs, c'mon and shout me out." It was the definite highlight of the show for me. The chaotic bits were given a different touch live, punctuated with Tunde shouting 'Hey,' in time with the beat that just elevated the cacophony. 'Dancing Choose,' was next, and it was relentless in it's urgency, utterly vital and loud. Tunde's lyrics were just another layer of noise, with the band really laying out for this one, especially Martin. It was a brief but potent moment in the show.

'Let The Devil In,' while not the percussive titan it was at their last First Ave show (when the entire band as well as opener Subtle grabbed something to drum on) was still a driving, booming beast of a song that still found most of the members of the band beating on something, and Katrina's vocals really shining through on the later half of the song. The set closed with Tunde and the band circling around to play 'Satellite,' from the Young Liars e.p. It was a really funky, jazzed up rendition, that again had the band expanding their sonic template and giving the song the freedom to evolve from the recorded version into something else entirely, closing out the main set on a complete high.

While the crowd roared it's approval, the band didn't really waste much time coming back out for the encore. And they eased back into the grove with a sublime version of 'Love Dog,' that was engaging and gorgeous. Tunde grabbed a cymbal to beat on for the next song, and Dave brought out another bass drum for a spirited, percussion driven 'A Method,' that was a treat to hear, and from the looks of it, was fun for the band to play as well.