The New Pornographers made their successful return to New York on June 19 with a sold out show at Terminal 5. The band recently released Together which garnered solid reviews and continued to showcase the power-pop craftsmanship and deft songwriting that have made them an indie favorite. Despite all the success several members have had outside of the band, the chemistry and passion for these songs still remain. It was evident on stage and the crowd was a passionate and committed one, singing along and loving each track. Before their headlining set, the fans in attendance were treated to opening sets by The Dutchess and The Duke and The Dodos.
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New Pornographers - Daughters of Sorrow [MP3]
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New Pornographers - We End Up Together [MP3]
Unfortunately I couldn’t catch The Dutchess and The Duke but I did manage to catch The Dodos. I’ve seen the band quite a bit in the past and I loved their intricate and intimately explosive sound. The rhythms, the interplay and exchange between calm and loud, the frenzied guitar and drumming create some engaging music and as exciting as Visiter was, Time to Die expanded their sound more laterally than I would have liked. It almost feels like the band has plateaued but their is hope for the future.
Their opening set had a little bit of everything, with the opening two songs coming from their debut, Beware of the Maniacs, two new tracks, “Fables” from Time to Die and “Paint the Rust” and closer “Fools” from Visiter. The new songs fit right into the set and felt like older tracks. I still have high hopes for the band and they put on a great performance live. Terminal 5 was loud but thankfully not much was lost in the band’s set. A more intimate setting is still the best place to catch The Dodos.
After a quick turn around, The New Pornographers made their way on stage. The band definitely takes up much of the available stage, with eight member all contributing to the sound. The band has quite the catalog and did good job of showcasing each album. The set kicked off with “Sing Me Spanish Techno” from 2005’s Twin Cinema.
This instantly won the crowd over, which was a rather easy job. As big and scary as Terminal could be, with great fans it can be rather intimate. This was definitely true this night, as fans were singing non-stop, cheering, and screaming their love for Neko Case. I must say though, the in between song banter was rather low and barely audible. That’s just a minor aside as the band did interact with the crowd but was focused on delivering an entertaining set.
The eight members on stage do their best to provide a full and amazingly organic feel to their music. Sometimes a large band sounds small or superfluous, but not so here. The dynamics between Neko Case and Carl Newman are great, the two opposites holding their own and let’s not forget everyone else working hard in the band. The tight rhythm section, keyboards, and multiple guitars are contributed to the night of great music.
It is hard to keep up with everything going on onstage. The subtle segues and clever guitar lines add layers upon layers. Although the band never fully leaves the indie world, individual influences can be seen working their magic. Be it the country/folk leanings or the pristine pop, The New Pornographers cull and craft something entirely their own.
As the night progressed it was clear that the focus was on Together, playing almost the entire album, but the band did not exclude any older material, offering plenty of treats to the fans. This included hits like “Twin Cinema”, “Mass Romantic”, and main set closer “Bleeding Hearts Show.” Like all good things, it had to come to an end but once again the band did not disappoint. The encore included “Challengers”, “Slow Descent Into Alcoholism” and show closer “Testament to Youth in Verse.”
The New Pornographers, despite the success outside the band, continue to be one of the best power pop bands going. Plying with genres, different sounds and being open to new ideas, the band continues to produce solid material. The show at Terminal 5 saw the band reaching high and hitting their mark. When the band is together, magic happens and let’s hope that this band continues to make their own brand of great indie pop.
The New Pornographers Set List
Sing Me Spanish Techno
Up in the Dark
Myriad Harbor
Use It
Crash Years
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
A Bite Out of My Bed
Adventures in Solitude
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Go Places
All the Old Showstoppers
Jackie
Moves
Your Hands (Together)
Twin Cinema
My Shephard
The Laws Have Changed
Silver Jenny Dollar
Mass Romantic
Bleeding Hearts Show
Encore
Challengers
The Electric Version
Slow Descent into Alcoholism
Testament to Youth In Verse
