Circulatory System, Nesey Gallons, and Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't. @ LPR in NYC - pics & setlist

September 11, 2009

DOWNLOAD: Circulatory System – Overjoyed (MP3)

by Andrew Frisicano

Elephant 6 showed up in full force for Wednesday’s triple bill at (Le) Poisson Rouge (Sept. 9th). First up was Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t. (comma and period in place, as noted by frontman Peter Erchick). The Olivia Tremor Control/Circulatory System keyboardist donned a guitar to lead the group through a set of uplifting, celebratory songs bolstered by violin, clarinet (both played by OTCer John Fernandes) and cello.

Next Nesey Gallons, guitarist for Circulatory System and Music Tapes (in the house when they visited NYC earlier this year), played songs from his debut solo record, Eyes & Eyes & Eyes Ago, which just came out. Alone with an ancient guitar (that failed on him a few times), Gallons sang with emotion, his eyes fixed in an intense stare while his feet tangled nervously below.

With Circulatory System on stage, Will Cullen Hart sang and pawed at his paint-splattered guitar, which was fed through an ever-present echo pedal. He was healthy looking and in good spirits (Hart was recently diagnosed with MS). It wasn’t until they started that I realized I’d already seen almost everyone on stage earlier in the night. Similar to the Music Tapes/Nana Grizol setup on their spring tour, Pipes & Circulatory shared nearly all their members, rotated instruments (five played bass in the span of the set), made use of multiple drummers (a great touch) and somehow culled the onstage spectacle into a night of amazing sounds.

A necessary note at these things – as far as I can tell, Jeff Mangum did not perform (though I believe Pipes did play “I Have Been Floated” with Will, a song that Mangum and others have joined on in the past). Maybe at ATP NY on Saturday.

More pictures below…

Nesey Gallons…