Andrew Bird @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, NYC - pics

anyone know if the guy setting up the stage with the "I Made It" shirt is Andrew Bird's brother? The similarities were striking.

Spinning double gramophone FTW!

Christina Courtin was great!

I think the NPR stream has been taken down.

His face is a perfect marriage of Stephen Malkmus and David Berman.

"I heard he's been a bit sick the past few days, so that may have been the reason."

he does not need a reason to play a second encore. fyi musicians and artists do what they want and do not carry out creation for the fans.

It is almost like the reviewer wasn't even there. How did the audience look like it took til halfway thru to get into the show? Is this a review of the audience or the band? The show was really really good. It is amazing watching Bird build those songs in front of you. The new arrangement of Glass Figurine is absolutely stunning.

Great photos kyle!

And Andrew Bird = my new dreamboat.

I agree with the above commenter --- Glass Figurine was chilling and amazing.

most pop music criticism is audience theory, so its perfectly legit to discuss how the audience was reacting to what was going on. great review Kyle.

he does not need a reason to play a second encore. fyi musicians and artists do what they want and do not carry out creation for the fans. >>

haha your such a d bag

this was the best show I've seen in a very long time...

Andrew Bird at Electric Lady Studios last week, check it out.. cool video from the Birdman

http://thealternateside.org/news/2009/jan/23/video-andrew-bird-live-electric-lady-studios/

he had a fever at the philly show on sunday. Only played a 1 song encore, but Ra Ra Riot opened so I left more then pleased. I felt the same way about the show. It started slow and got amazing when he played Fake Palindromes.

I like it much better when the band just flat out plays instead of doing those random preludes of random noise fuck

i wouldn't agree that people had "trouble getting into the show" until halfway through. i was completely sold after "masterswarm" and that was one of the first songs. you can't really all-out jam/dance to most andrew bird songs, so you can't be surprised that people were overjoyed by the older "fake palindromes."

BTW- Picked up a setlist on the way out.

Whoops here's the link:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z125/pjislife/AndrewBirdSetlist002.jpg

anon 10:56
i'd rather see andrew bird by himself. those "random preludes of random noise" that you speak of are anything but random. it's impressionist music, it's a part of andrew bird's style.

Well I don't know where my first post went to but Christina Courtin stole the show. Great mix of Headlights vocals and melody with some Old Crow Medicine Show bluegrass mixed in. It seems like based on your review she was doomed from the start because you wanted to see someone else. I would think about trying her again with an open mind. Really fun stuff.

I was not there last night, but every time I have seen Christina Courtin she was absolutely amazing. I wish she would be opening for the Carnegie show.

Wait...he didn't play "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left" ???!!!

upon reading this *not* at 4 am when i wrote it, a few things:

christina courtin was pretty decent. i didn't love her, and it has nothing to do with the fact that i love dosh.

the song is actually "anonanimal".

i think the majority of the audience doesn't know noble beast that well yet as it just came out last week, which is why i don't think people were into it as much as i've seen in previous concerts.

yes, "glass figurines" was stunning. i loved that live last night.

I think Kyle's review is fairly accurate. When I /was/ paying attention to the audience I noticed not many people were getting into the songs. Maybe they were all mesmerized by his playing, who knows. Andrew Bird still has an interesting style, no matter where he takes his music.

On another note, I miss Northsix.

if You don't think that Cristina C was fantastic - then you should not be posting reviews. I agree with the person above who said she stole the show. Her voice is amazing - and her band and songs were really great too.

there was one song lyric about "i'm not your pop n fresh toy" but i have no idea which song it came from.. any help?

To Anon (2:01 PM) - that was during "Glass Figurine"
I think that those lines were improvised though, they're not in the original lyrics.

what is "audience theory"? if you're theorizing about the audience then you're looking in the wrong direction. if you have a theory about the audience, then maybe you should talk to some folks about it - people you do not know - after the show and ask them what they thought. i only say this not because i disagree with your assessment, but because it seems that a number of commenters disagreed with it. sometimes i really bemoan BV because it would be cool if this website contributed something of value other than lots of photographs and ticket information and "good/bad" music criticism. there are folks in this city who would appreciate the opportunity to have their writing read by a sizable audience.

thanks for posting the setlist Travis!
Ok, for the sake of completism, here is the master list of songs that were played yesterday night:
1. Hot Math*
2. Fitz and the Dizzyspells*
3. Masterswarm*
4. Effigy*
5. Nomenclature*
6. Not a robot..*
7. Lull
8. Tenuousness*
9. Natural Disaster*
10. (added) Oh No!*
11. Fake Palindromes
12. Anonanimal*
13. Souverian*
14. Tables and Chairs
Encore: 1. that "something" was Glass Figurine
2. The Privateers*

*new
-------------------------------------------------
I don't think the audience was very respectful at all.. People kept shouting out requests for old songs and I think it was enough to annoy Andrew. He said something along the lines of "Jesus.. i didn't know that this was an open call for conversation.."(I think that was after he asked people if he was playing too many new songs.
Anyhow I thought the show was fantastic. It was the best I've been to in awhile. I think that it's still pretty amazing for Andrew to be able to play through a 16 song set even if he may be sick.

p.s. Andrew Bird is the musical guest on Letterman tonight.

I was taken aback by how loud (to the point of being rude) the audience was back at the Hiro Ballroom show. There are plenty of bands where it makes sense to me that their fans would be the type to yell loudly for older songs over and over, even in the middle of other songs, but I never expected that of Bird fans. There were a bunch of guys who seemed like they just came from a frat party who kept bellowing out song titles while Bird was singing. So incredibly annoying. I really hope the Carnegie Hall audience is more respectful. (And I hope he's feeling better.)

Is that Luke Wilson?

A couple of things...

1. I taped it, you decide your opinion on CC:
Christina Courtin- Varsity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1lJYlccLnc
Andrew Bird- Tables and Chairs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQmW9KGfyi0

2. I wouldn't take the crowd response too seriously. At first I was a little taken aback but hell it's a rock concert not church. Andrew seemed confused altogether. First he made a comment about people shouting out song titles and then a couple of songs later asked people their opinion on the new stuff. I think at that same time he was made another comment about how it was so quiet that it made him uncomfortable. Then people went back to shouting songs at him. For the most part I think Andrew took it pretty well and he seemed to be in good spirits.

3. I DO think the ackwardness of the crowd was directly affected by the fact that the release just came out. Although it's nice to say that you are one of the first to see a song played live, the reality is that you can't expect a ton of energy from a crowd that has little knowledge base of the material. It's almost like seeing a whole new band. Personally, I didn't know a single song played beforehand and I was more than happy to sit band and enjoy the beautiful show.

This site is wierd. Some of my comments post right up and others do not.

Anyway other than the long wrambling post I HAD I'll just post this. Decide what you think of CC yourself:

Christina Courtin- Varsity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1lJYlccLnc

What OCMS covers did Christina Courtin do?

I'm excited for the Carnegie Show. The new album is not streaming anymore, but you can hear a good bit of it on the Andrew Bird interview on "All Songs Considered". He also talks about being inspired by Dosh on that.

Carnegie Hall setlist

Instrumental Intro
Self Torture
Natural Disaster
Masterswarm
Effigy
Tenuousness
Oh No
Not a Robot, But a Ghost
Nomenclature
Imitosis
Fitz and Dizzy Spells
Anonanimal
Souverian
Tables and Chairs
E:
? Not sure what this one was.
Some of these days
E2:
Fake Palindromes

Does this sound right???

nstrumental Intro
Water Jet Cicile/Self-Torture
Natural Disaster
Masterswarm
Effigy
Tenuousness
Oh No
Not a Robot, But a Ghost
Nomenclature
Imitosis
Fitz and Dizzyspells
Anonanimal
Souverian
Tables and Chairs
e:
Why?
Some of These Days
e2:
Fake Palindromes

Dosh absolutely blew it up last night as the opener. He started with a solo instrumental of Simple X. His last song, with his band, was Circles and Squares...not sure about the others.

pick up the Bird album at 30% off at Etherea. it's closing.
http://racked.com/archives/2009/01/29/discontinued_etherea_records_dissolves_back_into_the_ether.php

Oh my god, that show at Carnegie Hall was AMAZING. Thanks for the set list.

Dosh played:
-Simple Exercises
-Don't Wait for the Needle to Drop
-Steve the Cat,
-If You Want To,You Have To,
-The Magic Stick(?)
-Um, Circles and Squares.

He played for about 35ish minutes and I loved it though the experience might have been better at MHOW. Andrew started with an instrumental probably from Useless Creatures(I think it was Carrion Suite?) and the rest of the setlist checks out with what I have. Bird kicked in the full band starting with Nat. Disaster.It was a great show. I hope that he decides to perform in another smallish venue(like MHOW) the next time he's in town.

-And from the other night
Christina Courtin "Blue Collar Man" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNaVvt5AKTI