A note about The New Pornographers
I got a last-minute invite to see The New Pornographers last night at the Bowery Ballroom from my friend Jennifer, and I am so glad that happened, because it was the best live show I've seen in a long time.
I'd been a fan, but not a big one, and I had seen them ages ago when they first started out, but it had been awhile since I'd been acquainted with their music or their live show. I absolutely adore the solo work of Neko Case, who sings with them, and saw her about a month or so ago live in Central Park. But The New Pornographers had dropped off my radar, so I wasn't sure what to expect. And I must say, even though the show started off slowly and the band bantered way too long between some of the songs (I'm a fan of the indie-rock banter, but these guys sometimes took it a little too far, I must admit), it was totally and utterly an amazing experience.
The show started with a false start, with A.C. Newman kicking off the first song on guitar and then stopping everyone to tune up and correct some feedback action that was happening. Several snide comments from band mates and about five minutes later, they finally got going for real with the first song. For about the first half hour of the show, Neko was having some problems with not being able to hear herself in her monitor -- as someone who has played music and sang in bands, I know it's really hard to hit the right notes if you can't hear anything -- so she appeared flustered and didn't even sing all of her parts on some of the songs. Even with all of that, the band's amazing power and utter professionalism when they get right down to the music emanated through the muck, and whenever they actually got around to playing a song it was pretty fucking awesome.
Then about halfway into the show everyone hit their stride, and it became a completely transcendental experience. I nearly wept a few times. Seriously. I think I love The New Pornographers not just for the wall of sound they put up, but for how they're really a vocal-driven band. I love that they don't necessarily have to harmonize every time Neko and A.C. and Kathryn sing together, how they can all be singing the same melody line. It really gives the vocals a fullness and impact you don't get with just one voice. And when they do harmonize, it's even more haunting. I also really dig all of the wordless vocal lines they do, all the "oohs" and such. It adds a playful element to a sound that is pretty fierce at times.
So it kicked ass. I had to post about this immediately when I got to the office, before checking the wires or the blogs or figuring out what I'm going to write today. I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for great music, especially a live show. I never regret seeing music I like live, even if it's not the stellar kind of show The New Pornographers put on. I'll always get something out of it. But last night was truly something special, even with the kinks and foibles.
I'd been a fan, but not a big one, and I had seen them ages ago when they first started out, but it had been awhile since I'd been acquainted with their music or their live show. I absolutely adore the solo work of Neko Case, who sings with them, and saw her about a month or so ago live in Central Park. But The New Pornographers had dropped off my radar, so I wasn't sure what to expect. And I must say, even though the show started off slowly and the band bantered way too long between some of the songs (I'm a fan of the indie-rock banter, but these guys sometimes took it a little too far, I must admit), it was totally and utterly an amazing experience.
The show started with a false start, with A.C. Newman kicking off the first song on guitar and then stopping everyone to tune up and correct some feedback action that was happening. Several snide comments from band mates and about five minutes later, they finally got going for real with the first song. For about the first half hour of the show, Neko was having some problems with not being able to hear herself in her monitor -- as someone who has played music and sang in bands, I know it's really hard to hit the right notes if you can't hear anything -- so she appeared flustered and didn't even sing all of her parts on some of the songs. Even with all of that, the band's amazing power and utter professionalism when they get right down to the music emanated through the muck, and whenever they actually got around to playing a song it was pretty fucking awesome.
Then about halfway into the show everyone hit their stride, and it became a completely transcendental experience. I nearly wept a few times. Seriously. I think I love The New Pornographers not just for the wall of sound they put up, but for how they're really a vocal-driven band. I love that they don't necessarily have to harmonize every time Neko and A.C. and Kathryn sing together, how they can all be singing the same melody line. It really gives the vocals a fullness and impact you don't get with just one voice. And when they do harmonize, it's even more haunting. I also really dig all of the wordless vocal lines they do, all the "oohs" and such. It adds a playful element to a sound that is pretty fierce at times.
So it kicked ass. I had to post about this immediately when I got to the office, before checking the wires or the blogs or figuring out what I'm going to write today. I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for great music, especially a live show. I never regret seeing music I like live, even if it's not the stellar kind of show The New Pornographers put on. I'll always get something out of it. But last night was truly something special, even with the kinks and foibles.