Baltimore duo Ed Schrader’s Music Beat returned in March with new album Riddles, which was released via Carpark Records. Produced by Dan Deacon, it’s their most polished and fully realized record to date. On April 15 they finished up their U.S. tour with a performance in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right.
This was my first time seeing the duo since they opened for Future Islands at Webster Hall back in 2014. While the songwriting style is still very much in their own world of indie art-rock, there’s definitely a more polished nature to these new songs that definitely works well in their favor. The previous time I saw them, Schrader would sing while also beating the hell out of a drum while Devlin Rice handled the heavy basslines. This time around Schrader went full-on frontman just managing the vocals as Rice took care of the bass as well as the backing tracks.
The adoring crowd at Baby’s was with them all the way through their 11-song setlist, with the main set all taken from Riddles, while the encore featured both “Airshow” and “Sermon” from their 2012 debut Jazz Mind, which had the crowd singing back every word, to the humbled delight of Schrader who couldn’t help but be taken over by the moment with a smile. The band had felt home at the old Brooklyn DIY places such as Death By Audio but it looks like they have found a new place to call home with the always welcoming Baby’s All Right.
Find the full setlist posted below along with a photo gallery of their performance as well as openers Showtime Goma x Lou Tides and Pollens.
Pollens:
Showtime Goma x Lou Tides:
Ed Schrader’s Music Beat:
Ed Schrader’s Music Beat Setlist:
1. Dunce
2. Seagull
3. Riddles
4. Dizzy Devil
5. Wave To the Water
6. Rust
7. Kid Radium
8. Tom
9. Culebra
Encore:
10. Airshow
11. Sermon
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