via Escape Sounds
What an incredible night at an unusual venue (Apparently it's affiliated with the Freemasons? Says Robin, anyway). This was the first time that New York experienced a healthy Robin Pecknold, though I did see a little bit of coughing. He even played standing up! Someone (named Sean) asked him where his chair was, and he replied that Frank Fairfield, the opening act, was borrowing it. Fleet Foxes played a new song called "Silver City," which is apparently about Robin's first day of camp. He played electric for that one, instead of his standard acoustic. Another memorable moment was when Robin unplugged his acoustic for "Katie Cruel" and "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." There was a great distance between the edge of the stage and where he was performing, so he moved up to be closer to the audience. I was lucky enough to be directly in front of him during these rare moments. It pays off to come early and camp out a little, especially when it's for one of my favorite bands.
The show had a lot of banter between the band members and the audience, which was missing at the last Bowery Ballroom show. The stage personalities were a big part of why my first Fleet Foxes show was so memorable and why it personally holds a special place in my mind.
It is truly amazing to see Fleet Foxes go from playing as an opener at Bowery Ballroom back in March to selling out venues with 1200+ in capacity in 6 months. These guys deserve it, and they truly sounded amazing tonight, as expected. I can't wait to see them again tomorrow at Webster Hall.
Wow, they just sounded so good. So good. I was giggly during the entire show and afterwards.
Setlist (As you know, FF do not have physical setlists. I personally wrote this one down, so I would appreciate a credit if you post it elsewhere)
Sun Giant/Sun Rises
Drops in the River
English House
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Crayon Angels (Judee Sill Cover)
Oliver James
Quiet Houses
He Doesn't Know Why
Mykonos
Katie Cruel (Traditional) - unplugged!
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - unplugged!
Silver City - new song!
Blue Ridge Mountains
Click here to hear songs and to see a video performance of "Crayon Angels."
Video of "Ragged Wood/Your Protector." Thanks, Nate!
English House - Fleet Foxes
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes
October 5, 2008
Fleet Foxes - Grand Ballroom 10.04.08
July 10, 2008
Fleet Foxes - Bowery Ballroom 07.09.08
Yes, you probably get it by now. I REALLY like Fleet Foxes. After my blog post on the Sun Giant EP and my near verbal diarrhea (or truth, as I'd like to call it) about the last time they performed at Bowery Ballroom, it seems that I really like to talk about this band. Well, that's because they're awesome and their show tonight reiterated the fact.
I was so excited to see Fleet Foxes return to New York as a headlining act. So excited that I purchased tickets the week they went on sale, which turned out to be a good move on my part. Tickets sold out not too long ago for this show, and I saw tickets going for $50-60 a pop on Craigslist. Maybe it had to do with the Pitchfork review of the LP. But, you know, just a guess.
I arrived early, not too long after doors opened. Somehow, I had this feeling that people would be filling the venue early. Another good move. Before the opening act walked on-stage, the place was already half-packed. This is pretty much unheard of at Bowery Ballroom, but I guess the audience knew what was up; arrive early and snatch a good spot for the main act.
Like at the last Bowery show, Robin was ill. This time, I think he was even sicker. He was hacking away in between lines of song. Honestly, I had this look of grave concern on my face during the entire set. Robin announced that this would be the day that he would quit smoking. QUIT SMOKING??? ROBIN, WHY ARE YOU SMOKING IN THE FIRST PLACE??? I am completely flabbergasted. That voice needs maintenance and preservation. Robin, I think you made the right decision. The next time I see you perform, I don't want to see you coughing like you're going to die. In fact, it seemed like other members could have also been sick. A sick Fleet Foxes sounded amazing, but I'm curious to experience a healthy Fleet Foxes.
In the first picture above, you can catch a glimpse of Fleet Foxes' new member. When I first heard the news, I assumed that six people would be performing on stage. However, it seems that J. Tillman is taking over as the drummer for their current tour.
Like my friend said after the show, Fleet Foxes' music was meant to be experienced live. Do yourself a favor and check out this band. People have different opinions on Fleet Foxes' use of reverb on their recorded albums, but the live shows are simply good. I'm going to be completely sleep-deprived and exhausted at work tomorrow, but it was well worth it.
Setlist (I wrote it on my hand during the show, so I would appreciate a credit if you post it elsewhere)
Sun Giant
Sun Rises
Drops in the River
English House
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Crayon Angels (Judee Sill Cover)
Oliver James
He Doesn't Know Why
Mykonos
Blue Ridge Mountains
---------
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Video of Robin performing "Crayon Angels" on Black Cab Sessions
Check out this past post and this one for more songs.
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - Fleet Foxes
Your Protector - Fleet Foxes
March 30, 2008
Fleet Foxes - Bowery Ballroom 03.29.08
Bow on the guitar for "Drops in the River."
Most recent Bowery show (07.09.08) post here.
When I see a band like Fleet Foxes perform, I am reminded of why I love music in the first place and why I started this blog. If you haven't heard of this band, you are really missing out. Last night, Fleet Foxes opened for Blitzen Trapper at Bowery Ballroom. But, I went there exclusively for Fleet Foxes and left before the headlining act. I blogged about Fleet Foxes earlier, so I had to check out the show. Thankfully, I bought tickets early before the show sold out.
I was surprised by how engaged I was by FF's entire performance. Granted, the music is fantastic, but I thought I might be bored at the show. Besides the music, which was even better live, Fleet Foxes is one of the friendliest, most personable bands I've ever seen. I feel like most bands mutter a "thank you" in between songs...or they say nothing at all. Although one guy in the audience yelled out, "Less talk, more rock," I really enjoyed the band's comments and stories (about the NY subway, parking tickets). It really kept me captivated and I felt like I was getting to know the band better, which only made me like them even more.
Lead singer Robin Pecknold started out the night by telling the audience that he was sick with the flu (it was his 22nd birthday, too) and requested us to be less judgmental (HAH, like NYers are capable of that). He may have had a cup of tea on hand, but there was no way that man had been puking all day; the 5-member band sounded perfect. Throughout the set, Fleet Foxes were completely shocked and confused by the warm response they were receiving from the crowd. They kept on telling us how "sweet" and "nice" we were. I think they were forgetting that the New York crowd is not sweet or nice; we're brutally honest. When Robin played the intro to "English House" and people cheered, he was like, "Really? You know this one?" Yea, man. I do know that one. It's only my favorite song of the moment.
Don't let the genre and tempo of the music fool you. Fleet Foxes put on an intense, exciting show. The band has an amazing coordination with each other, and I really loved the usage of rich 3-part and 4-part harmonies. In fact, for "Mykonos," there is a one-beat drum intro (8th note) before Robin comes in on the guitar. And, they do it without looking at each other. Crazy.
Old mandolin, to be smashed. Ultimately, the instrument was not smashed to pieces. The band gave it away to someone in the crowd.
The new mandolin played during "Blue Ridge Mountains." Check out the mandolin bit around 2:05.
Setlist (Thanks to the anonymous comment!)
SUN GIANT /
SUN IT RISES /
DROPS IN THE RIVER / (MEDLEY)
ENGLISH HOUSE
KATIE CRUEL (TRAD.)
WHITE WINTER HYMNAL
YOUR PROTECTOR
OLIVER JAMES
MYKONOS
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
See my past post for more songs. Fleet Foxes will be releasing a self-titled LP on June 3rd. For now, you can buy Sun Giant from Sub Pop or from Insound.com. Check out the mandolin bit in "Blue Ridge Mountains" around 2:05.
Ragged Wood - Fleet Foxes
White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
Oliver James - Fleet Foxes
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes
