M. Ward played a sold-out show on Friday night at Webster Hall, and I lucked out with this fine view shown above. It was great to see M. Ward solo again. I admit I never saw him perform as She & Him, but I did catch Monsters of Folk at ACL, and I have been eagerly awaiting his return to his solo work. He did not disappoint on Friday. While playing pretty much straight through for almost an hour-and-a-half, he included songs from all of his albums. There was also very little chit-chat, lots of guitar work, and an ever-changing backdrop provided by four windows. Really, I think this back-drop was one of the more impressive ones I’ve seen lately. The show’s setting went from a desert sunset to a view of Manhattan high rise apartments to outer space.  There was very little light on the band members, most of the light was emitted by the windows in the background. So, I am guessing that the band could actually see the audience.

The band played some great ones like Poison Cup, Rollercoaster, To Go Home and Never Had Nobody Like You. Also included was one of his guitar solo songs, which is always nice to watch.  I wondered if there were going to be any musical guests, but then I realized those types of surprises might be reserved for the August Prospect Park show. But a female guest vocalist was invited onstage at one point, and then in one of the encores he invited Conor Oberst to join in. All in all, it was a solid show with an energetic audience and a great set list.

We checked out Bob Schneider’s set last week at Bowery Ballroom and had a good time. I’ve seen him two other times, so the music wasn’t all new, but the setting was. We saw him in Madison Square Park two years ago for Big Apple BBQ, which was a fun show. I think that one will always top my list because I ended up winning a trip to Austin that day.  The other concert was at City Winery, and that one was more like “Storytelling with Bob Schneider.” He was seated and sang a bunch of songs, and told some stories throughout. It was pretty funny, and a very personal show. Anyway, so this time at Bowery Ballroom, the music was still great, but the setting was not as unique as the other times we’ve seen him. I’ve been to Austin twice now, but I have yet to see him play there.  So, that’s the next venue on my list—Antone’s in Austin.

Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men made two stops in NYC last week, playing a sold-out show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday and at Webster Hall on Friday. I got to see them at Webster Hall—after initially not being quick enough to snag a ticket, I got one when the venue was changed from Bowery Ballroom to Webster Hall. This venue change ended up being a bit of a problem, as I know that some people went to Bowery first and then had to make the trek to Webster Hall when they figured out that Of Monsters and Men were not playing where they were. Normally this would not be a big deal, but this particular concert actually started on time (gasp) a little after 9 p.m. and it was fairly short since they have only released one album.  So, I think they whole thing was said and done in an hour and fifteen minutes or so. So if you were late, you sort of missed out.

It was good to hear the band play live. It’s very much like their album, with one song flowing into the next. The songs all have a similar sound with slow build ups, occasional trumpet appearances and group shouts.  The band is made up two co-singer/guitarists Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson, as well as guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, piano/accordion player Árni Guðjónsson, and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson. It was the drummer’s birthday, and in honor of the occasion the band gave him a crown to wear and also led the room in a Happy Birthday song.

There have been lots of comparisons made to other bands, like Arcade Fire and Mumford and Sons, but I wasn’t really getting that.  There are no banjos in sight, and the male lead singer’s voice reminded me more of Colin Meloy of The Decemberists than anything else.  Maybe they sound a little like Canadian band Stars? That might be due to the back and forth of the male/female lead vocals. “Little Talks” is the song that’s getting them attention, and it’s still my favorite–with it’s upbeat, rousing sound and its “hey”-filled lyrics. I can see this band being fun to see at outdoor festivals. Actually, at this point that’s probably the best place for them. They don’t really have the set list to headline yet, but clearly they are able to attract a crowd, so I guess they are just going with it.  But for the record, I think it was the earliest concert ending time that I’ve ever experienced.

The band’s claim to fame is that they won an annual battle of the bands competition in Iceland in 2010, joining past winners Andlát, Búdrýgindi, Dáðadrengir, Mammút, Jakobínarína, The Foreign Monkeys, Shogun, Agent Fresco, and Bróðir Svartúlfs. What, you haven’t heard of these bands? Well, I guess Of Monsters and Men are doing something right then to garner all this worldwide attention. Their name choice doesn’t hurt either. Now, if only I can stop accidentally referring to them as Monsters of Folk…

While I really like Bon Iver and I have had tickets to last night’s show at Prospect Park’s Celebrate Brooklyn concert for a while, I was skeptical about the combination of a huge open air venue and the quiet, contemplative music of Bon Iver. Boy was I in for a surprise.This is what I was expecting:

And this is what we lucky people in the crowd, including myself, got to experience last night (especially the part after the 3 minute mark):

The openers, The Rosebuds, were a fun band from North Carolina. They got the night off to a good start. There was a bit of a wait for Bon Iver to take the stage, which seemed odd because how long does it take four seemingly low-maintenance guys to get ready?  Well, when they finally took the stage, out come not four, but NINE musicians. This included an additional drummer and a brass section. That was when I knew this concert was going to be different.

Since we ended up snagging a coveted spot on the hill in the lawn section, I had a great view of the whole stage. I give the whole production very high points in the lighting department.  There were nine thin vertical lights spread across the stage in the background throughout the performance.  Sometimes they appeared to be audio levels, bouncing up to the crash of the drum beat. At other times they were used as theme lighting (i.e. red lights = “Blood Bank”). At other times the white light seemed to produce a strobe effect and the musicians seemed to momentarily disappear a few at a time, only to quickly reappear.

The whole group of nine were onstage for most of the songs, but lead singer Justin Vernon did take a moment to slow things down with a solo song from his first album, For Emma, Forever Ago.  And you knew “Skinny Love” was going to be played…the question was when? And would they do something crazy with it?  When the band said good night, you knew it was coming in the encore. It ended up being the first song—with Justin Vernon on guitar and many of the other musicians providing the hand-clapping and foot stomping beat. It is not worth describing, because I am sure there are many video recordings of this song online. From the back of the lawn, all I saw was a sea of little lights, held arms-length in the air, capturing the song that made Bon Iver popular.

I have no idea if this big band set-up was special for this tour, or if it will stick around, but last night Bon Iver proved that their songs can certainly demand attention in the vast open air arena, and that they can most definitely headline a big show. I thank them very much for proving me wrong.

The Rosebuds:

I am proud to report that the album that I nominated as Best 2009 Album Never Released is now making its long-awaited debut. It’s not a total surprise, as We Are Augustines has promised that the album would at some point see the light of day, but it’s so great that the time has finally come.

This 2011 band is different from the band of 2009—a new mix of musicians (Billy, Eric and newbie Rob) and a new name (R.I.P. Pela), but many of the songs are the same.  Apple is offering the single “Headlong into the Abyss” as a free single download this week, so check it out.  They’re definitely getting their music out there—another single, “Chapel Song,” will be featured on Starbucks’ upcoming “10 Song Summer Mix” digital sampler.  Hear the song and watch the video (shot in the BK) here:

With the beginning of spring comes the announcement of summertime music festivals, and we have one of our very own: This July 16, the Village Voice will throw the inaugural 4Knots Music Festival on the South Street Seaport. Named after the speed at which the East River, which runs right by the Seaport, pulses along, the 4Knots Music Festival will be an all-day, all-ages show in downtown at the sweatiest peak of the season.

I can’t complain, they are still offering a day of free concerts, but the Siren Music Festival was a great summertime EXPERIENCE–the Cyclone, the Boardwalk, the ice cream, the hot dogs. It was a package deal. South Street Seaport has hosted concerts before, and while they are fine shows, there is no added bonus of a post-show roller-coaster ride. There was always a huge turnout to the multiple-stage festival in Coney Island. I’m not sure how South Street Seaport will accommodate that sort of crowd.  In any event, I’m sure it will be a good time. I’ll just miss my annual trip to Coney Island, where I was able see some great bands and get me my amusement ride fix all in the same day.

Here are a few pics from Siren’s past: