Belle and Sebastian Shines at 9:30 Club
Today we bring you the second half of our coverage of The New Pornographers and Belle and Sebastian at the 9:30 Club. Yesterday Jason reviewed Carl Newman and his half-staffed band; today Hemal shares her take on the surprisingly energetic Scottish crowd-pleasers Belle and Sebastian.
Stuart Murdoch didn't waste any time charming the proverbial pants off the crowd Monday night at the 9:30 club. The lead singer of the Glaswegian Belle and Sebastian bounded on stage and immediately began flattering his audience, but in the most sincere and charming way possible. "I can already tell you're a better crowd then last night...much hipper...it's the Monday night party crowd!" he said to adoring cheers.
With that, the seven-strong Belle and Sebastian launched into "Expectations," a whimsical number about being bullied at school, from their debut "Tigermilk." The number, despite the semi-serious subject matter, set the airy and light tone for the rest of the evening. If there's one thing the band is good at, it's underscoring the daily scuffles and disappointments of life with a bright and cheery soundtrack.
For much of the night, Murdoch danced his slight frame around the stage, jumping in a rhythmic fashion, arms flailing, feet kicking out every so often, causing the ladies in the audience to screech like school girls. In short, it was the best kind of uncoordinated hodge podge of joyous motion that Murdoch had clearly honed in the discotheques back home. After finishing up "Another Sunny Day," he paused for breath and joked about feeling like he was in an 80's movie.
As much as Murdoch captivates the audience, the rest of the band, which consists of Stevie Jackson (dressed for success in a lovely suit) on guitar and vocals, Sarah Martin (also on vocals), keyboardist Chris Geddes, drummer Richard Colburn, and featuring Mick Cooke and bassist Bob Kildea, deserves attention. The band holds their own on big numbers such as the new single,"Your Cover's Blown." A funky number with bits of blues thrown in, the song bares little resemblance to their softer, more somber early work. In fact, the main take away from the entire evening was the sheer level of rock and energy that Belle and Sebastian brought to the stage. Never having seen their live show before, we were fully expecting a low-key, strummy-yet-satisfying performance. We were proved wrong in the best kind of way.
The rest of the nearly two hour set consisted of a cherry picked playlist that pulled heavily from old EP's and the new release, The Life Pursuit. The band shifted smoothly from past to present, playing old and new songs with similar aplomb and technical mastery, letting vocalist Murdoch shine when needed. And shine he did. The beautifully wistful "Loneliness of A Middle Distance Runner" showcased his high falsetto, while the sparse version of "Piazza New York Catcher," from last years' "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" had us hoping for a solo acoustic album in the future. The band then swung into the much loved yet rarely played tune "Belle and Sebastian," a dreamy tale of two mildly delinquent youths, from an early EP.
Like the New Pornographers before them, Belle and Sebastian accommodated their fans and played crowd favorites, "I'm A Cuckoo" and "Me and The Major," revving up the later with a frenzied Stevie Jackson on harmonica and guitar. Both were standouts of the evening. The rest of the set was fleshed out with the many relentlessly upbeat songs from their canon. Even the bittersweet "Judy and The Dream of Horses" (from the "red" album "If You're Feeling Sinister") came with a dreamy wistfulness just short of melancholy.
Their live shows (like their albums) are infused with a seemingly unrealistic and heartbreaking optimism that enthralls their fans. Watching Murdoch fling himself around the stage without an ounce of pretension, it was easy to see why the earnest and sincere Belle and Sebastian inspire the kind of devotion they do. Before the ambitious ensemble number, "If You Find Yourself Caught in Love," Murdoch tried to explain what the song was about. "Well," he finished hopefully, "it's about having just a little bit of faith."
Photo by flickr user schtzo, with permission.
Set List
Expectations
Another Sunny Day
Women's Realm
Sukie in the Graveyard
Electronic Renaissance
The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner
To Be Myself Completely
The Blues Are Still Blue
Piazza, New York Catcher
Belle and Sebastian
Funny Little Frog
She's Losing It
Your Cover's Blown
Dog on Wheels
I'm a Cuckoo
The Wrong Girl
If You Find Yourself Caught In Love
Judy and the Dream of Horses
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White Collar Boy
Me and the Major