Oxford Collapse played its final show @ Collective Hardware

July 22, 2009

by CD

Collective Hardware is a DIY space on the east side of the Bowery just below Delancey. It’s a cavernous, long room with a stage at one end and a folding table with drinks for sale at the other end. In other words, the perfect place for Oxford Collapse to play their final show.

The Beets and longtime Oxford Collapse pals CaUSE Co-MOTION played fun, frenetic sets ahead of the headliners, who took the stage shortly after midnight. The band, noted Back To The Future fans, used that movie’s orchestral theme as their entrance and exit music.

The lengthy, twenty-plus song set spanned the trio’s career. A shortened cover of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” gave way to “Please Visit Your National Parks.” Former bassist Mike Henry joined for several songs. Dave Weston of Pennsylvania punk band Weston was invited onstage, where he performed one of his own band’s songs with the Oxford Collapse as his backing band. Near the end, guitarist Mike Pace announced “Blues riff in B, watch me for the changes, and try to keep up,” yet another Back To The Future reference before launching into an energetic double cover of “Johnny B. Goode” and Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died,” which featured the band switching between songs after alternating verse/chorus combinations.

The final song of the night was Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days.” Fans sang along and many jumped onstage before the song devolved into a distorted, messy end. The Oxford Collapse said thank you and goodbye, and then they were gone.

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One night earlier Oxford Collapse played a show with Frightened Rabbit at Maxwell’s. A picture of the Collective Hardware setlist, and some videos from the show, below…

setlist