The entire room was packed with anxious fans, surrounding the stage in the Bottom Lounge on November 13th. Although some people may feel that Friday the 13th is a very unlucky day, I’m sure that everyone in the audience felt like the luckiest person in the world as they waited for Dirty Projectors to take the stage.
The set began with Dave Longstreth alone on the stage. He played through a great performance of “Like Fake Blood In Crisp October,” which received much appreciation from the crowd, with many fans loudly singing along. The other five performers then joined him on stage for the remainder of the set, save for a few moments during which bassist Nat Baldwin and vocalist Haley Dekle left the stage and the remaining four played a few numbers. The set contained every song, except Fluorescent Half Dome, from their breakthrough release from 2009, Bitte Orca, with a few songs off of their 2007 album Rise Above as well. In addition to these, the band played a song from the upcoming Temecula Sunrise EP and the tune “Knotty Pine,” which they had recorded with David Byrne of the Talking Heads for Dark Was The Night.
The performance was an amazing experience. What makes Dirty Projectors an interesting listen, is the complex arrangements of each of their songs. The fact that this band reproduced their songs live as perfectly as they did was astounding. The band was very tight, with seamless renditions of each song, especially with regards to the spectacularly complex vocal parts. The three girls producing the intricate harmonies that they did was an incredible sight. The audience was very appreciative of how amazing the performance was and there was thunderous applause following each song, during many of which the air was full of more voices than just those on stage, singing along. As a member of the audience, it seemed hard to keep oneself from moving in some synchronous way with the music. The climax of the show was the last song of the set, “Useful Chamber.” As Longstreth sang an “Bitte Orca! Orca Bitte!” the crowd was overcome with excitement. Following this song came the loudest applause of the night, which brought the band back to the stage for a two-song encore.
This concert was, overall, a fantastic example of the sheer talent the Dirty Projectors possess. The fact that they can reproduce their songs so flawlessly live, alone shows their skills as musicians and performers. With very few breaks for dialogue with the audience, the band was still able to connect and involve the spectators, which it not an easy feet. The audience just wanted to hear another great song as soon as each previous number ended, and the band delivered. I’m sure any one of the audience members would agree that it was one of the luckiest Friday the 13th’s they had ever experienced.
Dirty Projectors take their tour back to the east coast next with the following dates:
11-17 Boston, MA – Paradise
11-18 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
11-19 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall
11-21 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall
11-22 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Set List:
Like Fake Blood In Crisp October
No Intention
Remade Horizon
Temecula Sunrise
Spray Paint (The Walls)
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
Thirsty and Miserable
Two Doves
The Bride
Ascending Melody
Cannibal Resource
Stillness Is The Move
Useful Chamber
Encore:
When The World Come To an End
Knotty Pine
