What a surprise to find out that Final Fantasy was to open up for the show. Owen’s last album “He Poos Clouds” was one of my favs last year but seeing him live is where he truly shines. His combination of organic and electronic melodies is delightful. His frail voice over the looped violin orchestrations is an amazing union of contrasts. Somehow after a few minutes he weaves these complex songs that are hypnotic and tonight were accompanied by these cute visual overhead projections made with cut paper and colored transparencies. He played 2 brand new songs, which were good, and many of my favorites including “This Is The Dream Of Win & Regine.” No covers this night but he ended his set joined with Beirut which was pretty awesome.
The many members of Beirut took the stage with applause. Many of us were eager to see this young musician considering his November show got cancelled so I was not surprised to see all 3 shows to sell out very quickly. The whole night was a musical blur, so I’m pretty sure they played “Postcards From Italy” first. Although the band was hung-over and it was a Monday night, the music was beautiful and rich, and the band was extremely tight. The crowd and band was asleep for the majority of the beginning of the set but as they played on, the music became more triumphant and the crowd more alive. The pinnacle had to be when they played a riveting version of “Mount Wroclai”. Zach’s voice is incredible and somehow comes out on top from all the instruments creating their unique Eastern European sound. We screamed for an encore and they played their last few on the floor with their fans. Kelly Pratt from Arcade Fire came from his show uptown to join in the fun as well. With their horns blaring and tambourines banging, the concert became an intimate party and the night became alive. The crowd and band went from being asleep to waking up the neighborhood and making Monday the new Friday night. Despite being completely exhausted, we made them come back out for a second encore to bid us farewell. I can’t believe this guy is only 21 years old, and I doubt he’s reached his potential yet. One of the more enjoyable shows at Bowery I’ve seen in awhile.
Pictures and videos from the show.
Links:
Final Fantasy
Beirut