End of the year best, round one: Shows

2011 may technically be a thing of the past, but what’s a few more lists, right? I’ll begin the trio with my favorite shows of the year. This list is always the most fun to put together because unlike the best songs or best albums, the list of contenders is limited to the shows that I managed to catch.

There are so many factors that go into a good show: the crowd, the venue, the sound, the music, and even the stage banter and my mood. All too often, concerts leave me rather indifferent. Here are a handful of the shows that I won’t soon forget.

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13. Timber Timbre + Angel Olsen – Glasslands, April 14th*
Of course, we’ve already established that Angel Olsen is a delight, so seeing her open for Timber Timbre was a nice treat – especially on such a small stage! For the late night show, Glasslands underwent a dramatic transformation. Usually whimsical and cozy, for Timber Timbre’s set, the venue transformed into an eerie, lantern-bedecked cavern, which mirrored the Canadian group’s spooky blues sound perfectly.

12. Lykke Li + Grimes – Webster Hall, May 18th*
Maybe it was the sheer spectacle of Lykke Li dancing and prancing on stage or her amazing charisma – whatever the case, this was a solid show (even if Li’s album, Wounded Rhymes, didn’t hold up for me). Of course it didn’t hurt that Grimes, “the sound of the future” according to one music fan I spoke to, held the opening slot. These women will challenge even the most aloof hipster to get down.

Lykke Li (Photo Chris Jobling)

11. M83 + Active Child – Music Hall of Williamsburg, November 23rd*
From Anthony Gonzalez’s introductory yelp (“Carry on! Carry on!”), M83 was an unstoppable force. They exuded confidence and competence in equal measure – a rare feat these days.

10. Bon Iver + The Rosebuds – United Palace Theatre, August 9th*
I don’t expect Bon Iver’s 2011 release to make the cut for best albums, but there’s no denying it – that man’s voice could cure a cripple, enough so that I was even willing to give that ridiculous saxophone solo a pass.

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Photo Renee)

9. Mount Eerie + Wyrd Visions – St. Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church, June 19th* (Northside Fest)
Northside Fest brought some great artists to town in June, Mount Eerie, and this show was the highlight for me. Given the reverence lavished upon Phil Elverum by his fans (I turned into a giggling mess at the merch booth myself when I finally got my hands on The Glow, pt. 2 on vinyl), it only seemed right to watch the show from church pews. (Much love for Wyrd Visions, too!)

8. St. Vincent with Cate le Bon – Webster Hall, November 3rd*
Perhaps one of the most flawless and powerful performances I saw all year – Annie Clark brings it.

St. Vincent (Photo Guus Krol)

7. Feist + Mountain Men – Church of the Intercession, October 3rd*
This show was certainly a surprise – for me and the hundred or so others in attendance. It’s not often you find yourself at a crypt in Harlem – especially with an orchestra, Leslie Feist, and the lovely women of Mountain Man. Definitely a treat.

Feist (Photo Jill Mapes)

6. Sea of Bees – Rockwood Music Hall (stage 2), October 21st (CMJ)
Good God, Jules Baeziger left me breathless with this one. In the midst of all the prefab beats, glitz, glitch, and hype that comes with CMJ, an intimate Sea of Bees set was just what I needed. I think I cried at this one. Multiple times. So good.

5. PJ Harvey – Terminal 5, April 19th*
Yes, it was Terminal 5, but come on. We’re talking PJ Harvey here. I could hardly believe I was in the same room as her, let alone listening to her play from my perch in the VIP balcony. Cat Power may have been a bust last year, but PJ Harvey? Untouchable.

PJ Harvey (Photo Il Fatto Quotidiano)

4. Austra – Emo’s, March 17th (SXSW)
I definitely didn’t know when I was getting into when I stepped into the Domino showcase at Emo’s last spring. With SXSW, it’s always a temptation to dart from show to show, but Austra definitely caught my eye, and I think you’ll see why…

3. Sufjan Stevens + Diamond Rings – Prospect Park, August 3rd*
Despite the fact that rain poured down on us for upwards of three hours, the mood at the park was ecstatic. Swirling neons, giant blow-up men, quick choreography, ridiculous costume changes, Kat Martino’s solo, and beach balls were just a few of the things that made this show pop. Epic in every sense of the word – and worth every drop of rain.

Sufjan Stevens (Photo Jon Uleis)

2. John Maus – 285 Kent, October 19th* (CMJ)
Stepping into this show (another Domino showcase) felt like stepping back in time when music still mattered enough to make you forget everything else and embrace the moment in all its sweaty, smokey glory. Like a cult leader, Maus writhed and shook on stage with fervor as the music swept over the room of his unquestioning followers. Magic.

John Maus (Photo Stephan CK)

1. Laura Marling – Audio Visual Arts Gallery, September 28th*
A private song with Laura Marling? Hands down my favorite music moment of the year.

Picture me and Laura sitting in this room (Photo RK)

 

Feist’s Secret Show: Crypt Edition

Well my stint of small, intimate shows continues this week with a surprise Feist show.

It started with a Brooklyn Vegan post:

         Feist playing a church in NYC TONIGHT

And well, you know me and churches. (1) After a few moments of deliberation and a quick Google image search, I headed over to Sound Fix in Brooklyn to pick up a ticket (along with a voucher for the new album, Metals).

I mean really. Get a load of this place.

The crypt at the Church of the Intercession

After making the hike to Harlem via the D train, I stepped out at 155th Street and immediately started walking in the wrong direction. Luckily, I ran into someone who was just as confused as I was, and together we eventually figured it out. Though the walk from the train to the church seemed simple, it involved climbing something like 5 flights of stairs of an overpass. Out of breath and eager to be on time, we sped to our destination.

After a painfully long wait in line outside the church, we were finally ushered into the crypt to join the other small groups that had already gained admittance. Immediately upon entering the room, I gasped. The space like something out of a movie. The small rotunda was teeming with people, camera crew, and instruments – more instruments than I had seen on a stage in quite some time, let alone in such a small space. We’re talking violin, cello, upright bass, flute, clarinet, trombone, trumpet, sax, timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, drum kit, piano, keyboard, and of course, myriad guitars. I had heard rumor of a string section, but this was seriously crazy.

After another few minutes of anticipation, in walked Feist and her impressive backing band (the Mason Jar Music artist collective) through an old wooden door I had previously not even noticed, and I was delighted to see that included in the group were the lovely ladies of Mountain Man!

Feist (Photo Jill Mapes)

Feist and her gaggle of musicians kicked things off with a couple of songs from her new album before reaching all the way back to 2005′s Let It Die to pull out a moody, rhythm-heavy version of “Mushaboom,” an old favorite. (Mountain Man really add a lot on those harmonies near the end, yeah?)

As I stood near one of the stone columns, watching, I couldn’t help but feel a bit like I was interrupting something. It was such a surreal experience. Admittedly, Leslie was a bit out of practice as far as banter went, but when you’re playing in a space like that, banter is really only incidental.

Though I can’t really offer an assessment of the new album since I have yet to pick it up (it wasn’t available yesterday at the store), her new songs seem darker. Here’s “Caught a Long Wind.”

But the song that may have stuck out the most for me, the song that really became the anthem of the evening was the aptly named “Graveyard.”

Perhaps the only thing that could have made it better is more of the songs were unplugged. But it was still a fantastic experience – well worth the trip to Harlem.

Setlist (* = songs from new album)
*A Commotion
*Undiscovered First
Mushaboom
*How Come You Never Go There
*The Bad In Each Other
*The Circle Married The Line
So Sorry
*Bittersweet Melodies
*Anti-Pioneer
Woe Be
Sea Lion
*Caught A Long Wind
*Graveyard
*Comfort Me
*Get It Wrong, Get It Right

Encore
Pine Moon
Young Girl
Let It Die

(1) See exhibits A, B, C, and D.

Old hat

So you know that band you listened to on repeat freshman year of college? Yeah. That one. Even though it’s been four or five years since you’ve really spent any time with their music, you still feel an undeniable affinity towards them. (1) So when I found out a few weeks ago that Kings of Convenience was coming to town, I immediately resolved to go.  They are from Norway, after all – not exactly easy to catch. Not to mention how incredibly cute Erlend Øye is. Evidence:

Though the show was advertised as ‘sold out’ before I had even heard about it, I showed up at the Bowery Ballroom with my trust “Do you have a ticket?” sign (2), but it turns out that I didn’t even have to use it. They had tickets at the door still.

But it’s weird – going to see a band you used to practically idolize. It was like an automatic Of course I’ll be going to see Kings of Convenience before I had even stopped to consider the ticket price… or the fact that I haven’t even listened to their music in years. If nothing else, I reasoned later, it would be a nice nostalgia-inducing event.

For some great photos from the show, go here.

In reality, they actually played a number of new songs from their upcoming album, Declaration of Dependence.  (It only took them two and a half years in the recording studio to make it – largely due to Erik’s tendency to accidentally break the crucial fingernail on his index finger). The new songs weren’t too shocking and were mostly just an extension of their previous music, but towards the end of their set, I admit I was secretly thankful that someone yelled out: “Play some old stuff!” To the delight of the audience, they played “Homesick” and “Little Kids” (3) among a few others.

Another highlight of the evening was definitely hearing Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party.” The overly adolescent song was just too great coming from two attractive male Norwegians well beyond their teenage years.

But the true delight of the evening came in their encore. As they played the opening notes of “Build-up,” I couldn’t help but think: man it’s going to sound so different without Feist. (Feist had appeared on a couple of their tracks). And I was trying to think if I remembered all the words and could maybe softly sing her part. But then, when it came time, a woman started singing from the balcony, and I looked up and saw none other than Leslie Feist. Fantastic surprise. The few times I’ve seen Feist over the years, I’ve always secretly wished Erlend and Erik would magically appear on stage. But I suppose it’s easier to get a Canadian to come to a NY show than it is to get a couple of Norwegians to a show in North Carolina. Feist then made her way down to the stage to lend her vocal talent to “Know-How.”

You can hear some of the new tracks form Kings of Convenience here. And uh, well, if you missed them tonight, maybe they’ll be back to NY in four years… if you’re lucky.

–
(1) Unless perhaps that band for you is Dashboard Confessional or something. Luckily, I got the emo phase out of my system in middle and high school.

(2) That baby has gotten me into Lykke Li, Beach House, and more.

(3) It is worth noting that Erlend wrote “Little Kids” while visiting NY in 1999 and bumming around the Lower East Side.