On Thursday night, Peter Matthew Bauer of The Walkmen played Rough Trade NYC in celebration of the release of Liberation!, his debut album that’s out now via Mexican Summer.
This was my second time catching Bauer of late, as I caught a small intimate show from him just last month at Gary’s Electric Studio. This time around it was a full show from Bauer and his band, which included some help from A.M. Mills, who opened the show.
It was a solid performance from Bauer, who has come into his own as a solo artist, with songs that are very much his and ready to be shared to the world. There’s a honest truthfulness in his lyrical content and in the delivery from his band, which includes his wife Marisa Brown. The show was even better than when I first caught Bauer, due to it being a full set and more familiarity with the material on my part.
When looking at solo artists who come from popular bands, you have to try and imagine if this would be an artist that you would seek out if you were unfamiliar with his history with the band. Otherwise, your fandom is just an extension of that band. With Bauer, I see his work with Liberation! as an entity that I would certainly appreciate if I had no idea of The Walkmen, with his sharp live performance there to deliver the point even more.
Find more photos from the show posted below.
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