MP3: “Attic Lights (Live @ Bell House, Brooklyn)” by Atlas Sound

Courtesy of our good friend nyctaper, we’re able to share a great live performance of the track “Attic Lights” by Bradford Cox’s (Deerhunter) solo moniker, Atlas Sound. The early part of the show was hampered by a failing looping sampler, but Cox continued on in gracious fashion to play a stunning version of this song from his 2009 Logos album (#6 on Fishpork’s “favorite albums of 2009″ list). Download “Attic Lights (Live @ Bell House, Brooklyn)” by Atlas Sound here or stream it below:

Animal Collective @ Prospect Park Bandshell

Animal Collective has lost my interest as a live band. Merriweather Post Pavilion is, of course, one of my favorite albums of 2009, but a third straight snoozer from the live incarnation requires me to reconsider their abilities as an engaging stage presence. The problem mainly lies with the live presentation of electronic music in general. Watching three guys bob their heads up and down while triggering samples does not stir excitement.

Comparing AC’s live show to other bands who have engaged audiences while playing electronic elements in their songs is inevitable. Battles, for example, spend much of their show playing real instruments and sampling rhythms live on stage and going back to these sounds and manipulating them while building upon an organic composition. That’s exciting! Grizzly Bear, although not an electronic band, has bassist/producer Chris Taylor sampling all sorts of wind instruments live and building upon them as though accompanied by a full orchestra. That’s exciting!

During parts of Animal Collective’s set, Panda Bear did pound live drums and Avey Tare did hold his guitar. However, both instruments seemed more like props than important components of the live versions of their songs. I could easily sense from the crowd that a collective interest was lost about mid-way through the set, as side conversations tended drown out a lot of the sound. Maybe that’s just the product of a large outdoor venue filled with indie hipsters who do not really like the music they claim to. It could also be a result of unyielding 10-minute jam sessions of “Fireworks” or “Daily Routine” that embrace segues and ignore all elements of song structure.

This was my favorite live performance by the band, and Avery Tare seemed especially excited to be playing in Brooklyn. Highlights included Strawberry Jam standout “Chores,” and “Lion in a Coma” from MPP. Unfortunately, the experience did not support the notion “third time’s a charm.” Setlist follows:

Setlist:
What Would I Want Sky
My Girls
You Could Win a Rabbit
Summertime Clothes
Slippi
Daily Routine
Chores
Fireworks (medley)
Brothersport

encore:
Lion in a Coma
Guys Eyes
Leaf House

Atlas Sound to Play New York/Philly in October

Bradford Cox (Deerhunter) will bring his solo act back to our area with October shows at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg and Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church. Each show will be a co-headlining gig with UK electronic artists Broadcast. It’s been a busy year so far for Cox, who released Deerhunter’s Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP a few weeks ago and will release Logos, his second solo record in as many years this Fall. Deerhunter plays the Flying W Airport Resort in Medford, NJ this Saturday with Dan Deacon and No Age. Tickets are still available through TicketWeb here. Cox will also play with his band and as Atlas Sound at the Flaming Lips curated ATP New York show in September. Links to the Atlas Sound points of sale below:

Atlas Sound/Broadcast - First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, NY - October 18, 2009 (on sale now)
Atlas Sound/Broadcast - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - October 21, 2009 (on sale July 31 @ noon)

“Walkabout” by Atlas Sound (feat. Panda Bear)

Of Montreal @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

As Of Montreal wrap up their current tour of 2000+ seat venues in North America before heading over to Europe and Australia, a spot on Letterman brought Kevin Barnes and his troupe of musicians and actors to the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn for a small club performance. The Music Hall show was announced only a few days prior to the on-sale date, and it sold out in less than 45 seconds. The 550 or so die-hard fans that were lucky enough to hit refresh on their keyboards fast enough to get their tickets and stood through about thirty minutes of a backstage DJ set (as the Of Montreal prepared to take the stage).

Four golden Buddhas took the stage around 11:15pm and stood motionless for a few minutes before keyboardist Dottie Alexander, guitarist Bryan Poole (aka The Late B.P Helium,) multi-instrumentalist Jamey Huggins, bassist Davey Pierce and Drummer Ahmed Gallab took the stage. As the opening “Id Engager” bass line started (from their most recent LP Skelatal Lamping), Barnes threw open the back stage door and screamed the opening high-pitched “Ahhhhhyeaahhhh!”  It was an non-stop party from that moment on.

Kevin Barnes wrote and played just about every note on his last two records, mostly recorded in the attic of his Athens, GA home (with the rest done in Norway). His dark, sexual brand of melodic pop translates perfectly to the stage. Every song had sketches to accompany them, involving a troupe of ninja actors with ever changing costumes and art props. If Barnes wasn’t stripping down to his gold-colored vinyl underwear held up by an over-sized purple belt, he was wearing a half fur coat or clergy dress.

A large projection screen was filled with the familiar artwork from Kevin Barnes’ brother David, with images that have graced the covers of this records and the six foot horse collages that accompany the Lamping vinyl. If that wasn’t enough, at one point during “Gallery Piece,” when he sings the line “I want to be your what’s happening,” Rerun and Raj from the 70s sitcom of the same name show up on the back screen to a roar of laughter from the crowd. It was just impossible not to be entertained by this show.

During “Plastic Wafers” the four actors with Buddha heads returned with sponges of washable red paint in their hands and began to lather up a near naked Barnes until he was entirely covered. As the song continued, the Buddhas turned to the audience and lathered up the faces of everyone that was up near the front of the stage (myself included). Audience participation was not optional and that continued until they closed their set with “A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger”

When Kevin Barnes is on stage half naked or wearing his blue eyeshadow and matching sequence shirt over his white blouse, it’s easy to forget the early Elephant6 days where Barnes would sheepishly hide behind his acoustic guitar and sing his power-pop songs. I can only imagine what it must of been like in the Athens house that Barnes shared with Jeff Mangum, of Neutral Milk Hotel, and Will Hart and Bill Doss, both of Olivia Tremor Control. When Barnes finished writing 2004’s Satanic Panic, his breakaway from the traditional Elephant6 sound, he even considered changing the band name to close that chapter of music but decided it would be more interesting to carry a catalog that was more diverse. Diverse it is.

The sound was mixed well and warm tones were crisp. Barnes’ guitar playing was on point and the entire band was tight. As expected, the set was very Hissing Fauna are you the Destroyer? and Skeletal Lamping heavy with a few tracks off Sunlandic Twins and Satanic Panic. The show was a non-stop 2-hour set that featured a mind-blowing 30 songs.

Barnes would run off stage every 3rd or 4th song for costume changes (after throwing his outfit he was wearing into the crowd) and fans fought over a white mink, a pair of blue glasses or a sequenced jacket. For the last few songs he wore what looked like an old-time diner waitress uniform with a large “K” embroidered near the left shoulder. As Barnes walked off stage the audience waited for him to fling it into the audience as well, but as he walked off he smiled and commented “I just bought this one today, so I’m going to break it in a little.”

Of Montreal came out for a three song encore with a great version of “Gronlandic Edit” and “Oslo In The Summertime.” They have been closing with a different cover almost every show on this tour, and we were treated to a Barnes interpretation of Tom Petty’s “American Girl.”

One moment that sums up the Of Montreal experience happened in-between songs when Barnes looked around for his cup of vodka and orange juice that was poured for him during one of the background performances. He found it laying near the drum kit where much of the stage performance action was going on.  He looked into it then pulled his mouth away from the cup. He then asked the crowd, “who here is 21?” A fever of hands raised up, and he walked over and gave his cup to an enthusiastic fan. As the kid took a sip, Barnes commented, “I hope you like the taste of silver sparkles.”

Kevin Barnes channels the over-the-top transsexual/she-male Georgie Fruit, and it’s done so well that its hard to imagine Barnes being any different in real life. Much like a Flaming Lips show, the theatrics do not supersede the performance of the music — it only compliments it. There are not many artists that could pull this off without distracting the audience from the music, but its pure symmetry when it comes to Of Montreal.

I grabbed Dottie’s set list as she walked off stage.

Of Montreal - She’s A Rejector (Live @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)

Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit (Live @ Music Hall of Williamsburg)

Our friend NYCTaper has the entire set for download here.

http://www.myspace.com/ofmontreal
http://www.ofmontreal.net/

Fishpork’s Ten Favorite Shows of 2008

As a collective, Fishpork attended 15 live shows this year (and there are still two more: Of Montreal tomorrow and Crystal Castles on New Year’s Eve, both at the Music Hall of Williamsburg). Unfortunately, a band does not have complete control over how well received their live performance can be. This was the case with all bands that played in our least favorite venue of 2008: The Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Although Animal Collective managed to overcome the venue’s sound limitations the best, others were not so lucky (The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal). Unless Jeff Mangum announces a show here, Fishpork will avoid it at all costs in 2009. Highlights of the year included an intoxicating performance by Deerhunter, a sweaty dance party curated by Girl Talk, and a 3am secret show by Modest Mouse. These were our favorite shows of 2008:

1. Deerhunter @ The Music Hall of Wiiliamsburg
2. Girl Talk @ Starlight Ballroom
3. Enon @ Hiro Ballroom
4. Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5. Built to Spill @ Terminal 5
6. Animal Collective @ Electric Factory
7. Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center
8. Radiohead @ APW Festival
9. Saul Williams @ The Trocadero
10. Battles @ Johnny Brendas

Honorable Mention:

Holy Fuck @ Johnny Brendas
Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall
Health @ House of Blues
TV on the Radio @ Electric Factory
Of Montreal @ Electric Factory

Least Favorite Show of 2008

The Mars Volta @ Electric Factory

Favorite Live Venue of 2008

Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA

Least Favorite Venue of 2008

Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

Gummy Awards @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

It was only a month ago when Deerhunter played the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. That amazing performance set the new standard for live shows in 2008, so the expectations this time were through the roof. Even without use of their own equipment and a poorly mixed set by the sound guy, Deerhunter still found a way to captivate the Williamsburg crowd.

Under the guise of Stereogum’s “Gummy Awards,” Deerhunter played a slighty stripped down show, using the amps and drums from openers Violins, while only bringing a few guitars and pedals.  Cox began to set up his own equipment shortly after their set, along side blues guitar extraordinaire Whitney Petty. Not far behind was to follow was drummer Moses Archuleta, bassist Josh Fauver, and guitarist/sometimes vocalist Lockett Pundt. Pundt has been a busy man of late with his recently announced debut full-length release from his solo band Lotus Plaza entitled The Floodlight Collective. This follow’s the trend set by Bradford’s solo project (better known as Atlas Sound). The Lotus Plaza record will drop on March 23rd.

I had the pleasure and privilege of chatting with Cox for a moment as he set up his equipment to relay Fishpork’s appreciate of the new album (#1 on Fishpork 20). Cox was grateful, giving his child-like grin. The band quickly assembled what little equipment was available for them and retreated backstage so Stereogum could come out for their two stooges comedy troupe which was anything but funny. The stand up comedy/video montage from Stereogum was less than enjoyable but thankfully short.  Even more regrettable was the announcement that Fleet Foxes was their voters’ choice for album of the year.  This was announced as Fishpork’s choice for favorite album was ready to take the stage.

Cox and company wasted no time and opened with “Cryptograms” from their 2007 album of the same name. If I could find anything out of place, it seemed that Cox was slightly too high in the mix. This did make for a larger than life sound that commanded attention to the their performance but did not compare to their Music Hall performance a month ago. Cox played with a likely borrowed no-frills strat, which showed that he could still get his trademark sounds to shine through. Petty did manage to bring Fender Coronado II for the ride. SInce this was somewhat of a last-minute show, so I guess the band just wanted to play without bringing their sound crew. Furthermore, the soundboard dude was texting on his phone the entire show, which did not help the mix.

As Cox toyed fellow bandmantes with an impromptu version of “Jane Says,” Fauver put down his bass with cynical disapproval. Cox laughed and asked, “so what should we play then?” Since I was less than two feet from him I couldn’t help myself with a shout for “Operation” from Weird Era Cont. Bradford then turned around and replied ”that’s a good choice!” with a grin. Fauver picked up his bass, and Cox went into the song without hesitation.

The set was Microcastle heavy, as expected, but the aforementioned “Cryptograms” and a few others did sprinkle the set. Crowd-pleasers “Nothing Ever Happened” and “Never Stops” sounded tight as usual despite the issues with the mix.

As the band readied themselves for their encore, Cox thanked Stereogum and also gave a solicited shout out to Fishpork before going into the set closer “Saved by Old TImes.” This was followed by a crotch dive and human scissor with Perry, the former cheerleader, to finish a brilliant performance (see photo).

The self-described “ambient punk” band seemed as focused as ever. Perhaps this is because this was Deerhunter’s last scheduled show for the US (except for a hometown New Years secret show gig). Cox and company are taking a break before heading out for a long European tour in February.  But you never know when they might show up somewhere with borrowed instruments or as Cox’s alter ego Atlas Sound.

Deerhunter - “Never Stops”

Deerhunter - “Microcastles”

Deerhunter - “Saved By Old Times”

Deerhunter - “Vox Celeste”

http://www.myspace.com/deerhunter

http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com

Spend New Year’s Eve with Crystal Castles!

Bring in 2009 with Ethan Kath and Alice Glass, better known as Crystal Castles, at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The Hall will be hosting our favorite electro-thrash Canadians on New Year’s Eve this year and is without a doubt one of the best venues in the NY area to see a show.  The Modest Mouse secret show and Deerhunter show earlier this month were easily the best shows of the year. If this show is anything like their Webster Hall performance, it will be a night to remember.

Their self-titled debut album released earlier this year is sure to be in many of the Top 10 lists that will begin to pop up over the next few weeks.

Alice gave a boot and smashed my camera into a few pieces at that show, but all that mattered was that the memory card survived.  Check out our pics from that show here. This is sure to be another great one on New Year’s Eve in Brooklyn.

Get your tickets here before it sells out.

CRYSTAL CASTLES - Courtship Dating (official video)
by Differentrecordings

http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles

Deerhunter @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Last year at this time, a talentless music blogger named Jeff Weiss from L.A. wrote about Deerhunter being the worst live band he’s ever seen:

Deerhunter’s live show reminds me of the first scene in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, where Bill and Ted awkwardly flail at their instruments while bitching elliptically about the necessity of making a triumphant video to get Eddie Van Halen to teach them how to play guitar. Nowadays, you don’t even need a triumphant video, you just need a good Pitchfork review, which is what the Atlanta noise-rock outfit Deerhunter got earlier this year. Suddenly, in an Emperor’s New Clothing–esque turn, a group whose biggest discernible talent is its knack for self-promotion became one of the biggest buzz bands in indie rock. Let’s hope that, in the span between now and the Fuck Yeah Fest, George Carlin can drop down to Earth in a phone booth and teach them how to no longer be bogus.

Mr. Weiss represents the only reason Fishpork exists. Sure, it’s a great place to keep a journal of all the great shows and records I listen to. However, music is subjective and ALL reviews are ultimately meaningless. The only thing that interests me is writing about things I enjoy. For those bloggers who choose to write about how bad they think a band sucks, I feel bad for your shallow personalities and outlook on the world. Music can heal you. And if you were part of the crowd on Friday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, you experienced this first hand. I recently read a review of Deerhunter that stated the band can only be listened to in a state of intoxication (with your drug of choice). This statement is rather offensive to me. Deerhunter makes music that replaces your drug of choice. Their songs, especially when played live, are a revelation and are changing the way I perceive music.

Peter and I arrived at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn toward the end of New Times Viking’s opening set. They sounded great, but we were experiencing too much anticipation to fully comprehend. As the set ended and the techs began to set up for the headlining act, we made our way to the front of the stage. This was a completely different experience than the previous night at the NIN show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. At that show, we were in the midst of the most obnoxious crowd of all-time. Nine Inch Nails’ fans are notorious for booing opening acts, and this was no different. It was a shame that a very good live band like Health had to deal with a crowd (only there to hear “Closer”) with absolutely no taste in music. Fortunately, Trent Reznor’s knack for choosing opening acts has been a major source of discovery for me, including TV on the Radio, Autolux, Saul Williams, Crystal Castles, and most recently Deerhunter on the first leg of his current tour. Enough about how much NIN fans suck.

Before Friday night I suspected that Deerhunter was less about Bradford Cox than I originally imagined. That inclination was squashed immediately after the ubiquitous frontman took the stage. Cox has been known to occasionally wear dresses on stage, a habit he admits was picked up from Kurt Cobain. “Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain kissed, and Kurt wore dresses. There’s no way to overestimate the influence Nirvana had on me,” he admits. The Deerhunter frontman was the center of attention, not because of his extroverted personality, but because of his play on his heavily reverbed and distorted lead guitar, xylophone, and drowned out vocals. Cox even sang the lyrics and played lead guitar on “Agoraphobia,” which features guitarist and Cox’s best friend, Locket Pundt, on vocals on the album.

The show included an epic performance of new fan favorite “Nothing Ever Happened,” which included a mind-numbing guitar solo from Cox and impeccable attention to detail by the rest of the players. The three guitar arrangement on many of the songs creates a sound that relies on noisy, droning textures and borrows from bands like My Bloody Valentine and Liars. But Deerhunter avoids what has already been done and creates their own sound. The soundscapes they create contain other elements not present in those bands.

As good as Deerhunter are and as inspired as they are to release meaningful music, it’s important to keep in mind how young they are (Cox is 26). That youthful exhuberence showed Friday as Cox joked all night, especially with new guitarist and old high school friend, Whitney Petty. Cox asked the audience if they’d rather see Whitney play the blues on her guitar or do a hand stand (Petty was a cheerleader in high school and has been known to wear her uniform during shows). Before the crowd could respond, she was in the middle of the stage on her hands. Petty then snuck up behind Cox and played a blues riff on his guitar. The antics hit their climax when Petty proceeded to lift the lanky Cox on her shoulders, as the crowd stood by and admired.

A highlight included Cox taking two song requests to end the show. The band played the first song shouted from the crowd, which was “Heatherwood,” from their second album Cryptograms. Kudos to the tech crew and sound mixers at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The sound was perfect, and the band sounded as close to the album as one could hope. Cox’s lyrics were completely distinguishable from the guitar twangs and light percussion, as he repeated the song’s chorus, “was not seen again.” The band was not actually planning on taking another request, but Cox coaxed his band mates into it. At one point, he approached drummer Moses Archuleta and practically begged him to play another song. The second request came from a guy standing right next to me, and he must have been reading my mind. After a false start, Cox admitted the band was unprepared to play the song but soon began an amazing rendition of “Operation.” Cox spit out the agonizingly dark lyrics, “Cover your ears, you’re not gonna like what you’re gonna hear, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.”

Deerhunter’s show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on Friday night was the best concert I’ve attended in my lifetime. Although I probably go to upwards of twenty shows a year, I honestly don’t think anything else has come close to that musical experience. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was quoted as saying Deerhunter’s live show borders on “a religious experience,” and I agree. Doesn’t this speak volumes about how music is a personal experience?

Mr. Cox responded to Mr. Weiss’ blog post with an exchange that was too priceless not to include here:

it’s bradford! from deerhunter! i was just wondering if maybe you
could give us some quick EMERGENCY lessons on our instruments
before our set sunday. we are kind of nervous… you know L.A. = big
city = could be our big break. we don’t want to look stupid so if you
could just teach the guitar players some basic power chords or
something it would really help us out. i’ll be busy giving blowjobs to other
more talented (notable) music journalists so as to keep those good reviews
rolling in.

look forward to seeing you this weekend
your pal,
brad

The entire exchange is worth your time and can be read here. Although he’s freaked out by dissonant hipsters in the front row of shows, Bradford Cox is inspired by kindness and doesn’t care what you think about his music. “I don’t give a fuck what they say about me, because I’m a white-trash queer who might live to be 30 if I’m lucky,” says Cox. Although Cox’s lyrics are often used as therapy for an ostracized childhood, some of the motivation behind the music is physical healing (see Fishpork review of Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.). He makes music for fans who need a soundtrack to cope and is just trying to make as much of it as he can while he’s still alive. This is good news for the music world!

Rolling Stone has uploaded an exclusive acoustic performance of Bradford Cox singing “Never Stops” outside of a convenience store in Brooklyn hours before the show: http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/video/24261318/breaking_deerhunter.

http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/deerhunter

TV on the Radio Announce LP, Tour, Go Hollywood

Sort of …

Last month, TV on the Radio announced the title and track listing of their upcoming LP, as well as a string of shows in early Fall. This week, the band added more shows for October and November, upgrading a couple of gigs to a full blown tour. Dear Science, (including comma) is slated for a September 23 release and is regarded as one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Their last effort, Return to Cookie Mountain, received universal acclaim and will be nearly impossible to top, as the record appeared on nearly every critics’ Top 10 list (The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Pitchfork Media, etc.) for 2006. Most impressive is the band’s ability to put out another album in just two years, especially when some members of the band are busy with side projects not related to music.

Tunde Adebimpe, lead singer for the Brooklyn-based TVOTR, will appear in Jonathan Demme’s latest film, Rachel Getting Married, opposite Anne Hathaway. Adebimpe, a graduate of NYU’s film school,  plays Sidney, the groom of title character Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt). However, the story centers around Kym, played by Anne Hathaway, a character who returns home to attend her sister’s wedding after being in rehab for ten years. The father of these sisters is played by none other than Bill Irwin (Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street’s Elmo’s World). The film premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Here is the latest trailer:

In the meantime, we can look forward to seeing Adebimpe with TV on the Radio in cities nationwide this Fall:

SEPTEMBER
5 Musicfest NW, Roseland Theater Portland, OR*
6 Showbox, Seattle WA*
7 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC*
9 Macewan Ballroom, Calgary AB*
10 Starlite Room, Edmonton AB*
12 Knitting Factory Boise ID*
13 In the Venue, Salt Lake City UT*
14 Monolith Festival, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison CO
19 Street Scene, San Diego, CA
20 Treasure Island Festival, San Francisco CA

OCTOBER
10 Electric Factory, Philadelphia PA+
11 Lupos, Providence, RI+
13 Wilbur Theatre, Boston MA+
14 Masonic Temple, Brooklyn NY+
15 Masonic Temple, Brooklyn NY
18 Bogarts, Cincinnati OH+
19 Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis IN+
20 First Ave, Minneapolis MN+
21 First Ave, Minneapolis MN+
22 Riviera, Chicago IL+
24 Voodoo Festival, New Orleans LA+
25 Tabernacle, Atlanta GA+
26 Bijou Theatre, Knoxville TN+
28 Lakewood Theatre, Dallas TX+
30 Stubbs, Austin TX+
31 Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City OK+

NOVEMBER
06 Wiltern, Los Angeles CA+
08 4th and B, San Diego CA [KBZT Birthday Show]+

* Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson to open
+ The Dirtbombs to open

Dear Science, track listing:

1. Halfway Home
2. Crying
3. Dancing Choose
4. Stork & Owl
5. Golden Age
6. Family Tree
7. Red Dress
8. Love Dog
9. Shout Me Out
10. DLZ
11. Lover’s Day

http://www.myspace.com/tvotr

Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Brooklyn, NY – June 20^th 2008

It’s 11am on Thursday, and I’m checking my email. An email from Epic Records entitled “A Morning With Modest Mouse” is in my inbox. Most of these form emails from the record company list information you learned from reading a fan forum two weeks prior; but this was not the case. The email went on to announce a special early morning show at Music Hall of Williamsburg at 1:30am (yes 1:30 AM!) Friday morning. Fresh off the Madison Square Garden stage with REM Thursday night, the band would head over to Brooklyn for a special performance which would be in the middle of the night Thursday into Friday morning. Tickets would go on sale an hour later for $20. And 13 hrs later I was waiting in line to enter the Music Hall, as fans lined up in droves seeking extra tickets.  The Music Hall of Willamsburg has a capacity of 550, and the tickets sold out in less than 4 minutes.

Much like The Bowery, the Music Hall allows for an intimate show.  After a lengthy sound check (doors opened at 1am and MM didn’t take the stage until 2:30), drummers Jeremiah Green and Joe Plummer took the stage. To the crowd’s surprise, they dove into the drum pattern of “Trailer Trash.” Johnny Marr, Eric Judy and frontman Isaac Brock followed. The opener set the stage for MM to dig deep into their catalog for some classics off of “This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About,”  Thoughout the set, the band jammed on songs (for this all-Mouse audience) that perhaps might not have gone over with the REM crowd. After the opener, the band went into intense versions of “Breakthrough” and “Dance Hall,” before a crowd pleasing, long version of “Dramamine.”

Brock was talkative and commented about his affirmation for the Silver Jews and told a story on the origins of “Wild Pack of Family Dogs.”  Later a long/jam version of “Tiny Cites Made of Ashes” brought raw emotion, only available at 3:30am.  As if screaming into a guitar pickup for a distorted mantra of ”Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?” wasn’t enough, Brock started an impromtu mosh pit when he jumped into the crowd while the band continued the song. Brock was on fire thoughout the entire set and did not let up until finishing up with “The Good Times Are Killing Me,” right before they were forced off stage by a 4am curfew.

This “secret” show was one for the memories and easily the best show of the year.

The Set List:

Trucker’s Atlas
Breakthrough
Fire It Up
Dance Hall
Dashboard
Dramamine
Wild Pack Of Family Dogs
We’ve Got Everything
Satin In A Coffin
Little Motel
Paper Thin Walls
Tiny Cites of Ashes
Whale Song
The Good Times Are Killing Me