Saw the New Pornographers last night and damn were they good. I'd seen them a few times before, but they really had it together. I've been trying to analyze what it was that appealed so much. Here's three things:
- Neko Case! Yes, she was there. I don't know if she's doing the whole tour or just select shows, but she was in fine form. When she's not with them, Katheryn the keyboardist sings her parts. With both of them on hand they were able to do some amazing harmonies, or else "doubletrack" some of the vocals to good effect.
- Dan Bejar!! Yes, he was there! I didn't think he ever toured with them anymore. He meandered onto the stage to sing his handful of songs scattered throughout the set, occasionally hid off to the side playing a xylophone or shaker, and otherwise wandered back to the dressing room. Anyone know if he's doing the whole tour, or if Boston just got lucky?
- A really well-paced set. They managed to mix rockers with mid-tempo tunes and ballads, Dan's songs with Carl's & Neko's (or ones that she sings anyway), and never have it feel draggy. A solid 80 minutes.