What better place to celebrate The New Pornographers new album Brill Bruisers than at the source of inspiration, the Brill Building? That’s what happened last night, at a show put on by NPR Music at a ground floor level space in the historic Brill Building, the place where many classic songs were written in the 1950s and 1960s.
After all these years, this was actually my first time catching the band live. It was not the sort of setting I would have imagined seeing them at (with metal poles bending in different directions out of the white concrete ceiling), but it added to the charm, especially considering it was a tiny room filled with maybe 150-200 people who were lucky enough to get in. Getting admitted to the show was a tough task, with the only way obtaining entrance was through trivia contests on twitter, or by being friends of the band (as New Pornographers frontman A.C. Newman humorously admitted as well).
The entire New Pornographers lineup was there, with Dan Bejar coming and going when it was his turn to sing. As expected, the indie super-group sounded exquisitely sharp live, with harmonies and pop-melodies shooting at seemingly every moment. With so many members on stage (as many as 9 when Dan jointed them), it was amazing how tightly in sync they were at all times.
A good chunk of the set was dedicated to Brill Bruisers material such as the Bejar-led cuts “War On The East Coast” and “Spidyr” as well as the stunning self-titled single “Brill Bruisers.” I was pleasantly surprised to see the band include tracks from all over their discography in the set, stretching as far back as “Mass Romantic” and “Twin Cinema” as well as more recent highlights such as “Myriad Harbour” and “Moves” with the latter serving as the opener. “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk” and “The Bleeding Heart Show” served as the encore, wrapping up a energetic 14-song set, a very healthy number for a free show.
The New Pornographers have a lot of talent in one place, and probably a ton of clashing egos, and ideas. To see everyone working on the same page so seamlessly is an impressive feat, especially when they can do it while sharing genuine smiles. While I have equal appreciation for all of the members, I admit to being a big fan of Bejar’s, finding that his moments constantly rose to the occasion (“Myriad Harbour” is a beast live).
I would love to see these guys again at a full proper show, but I also can’t imagine seeing them at a cooler show than this ever again.
Join the conversation