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David Byrne & The Roots joined Dirty Projectors @ Bowery Ballroom Sunday night - pics & setlist

Dirty Projectors

Dirty Projectors completed their tour and four-night NYC run in style on Sunday (11/22). The evening started with a beautiful set of music by Julianna Barwick who was followed by the mind-blowing Tune-Yards. It’s been said before, I’ll say it again. Merrill Garbus is an extremely talented girl and the crowd went nuts for her as she looped and strummed and drummed and sang. Backed by a bassist, her performance was even more special because her parents were in the crowd. She mentioned them a few times and even thanked them at the end for having her.

I’d been hearing rumors about special guests possibly joining the Dirty Projectors at some point this week, but nothing happened at the first three shows (1 at Bowery and 2 at Music Hall of Williamsburg). Then Sunday the rumors started getting louder, especially the one about The Roots showing up.

The Roots and Dirty Projectors first met when DP were the musical guests at Fallon. Questlove was in love. Some thought that DP were going to join the Roots at a show in Brooklyn a few days after that TV appearance, but it never happened. It did this time though. Three members of the Roots, Questlove included, joined the band on stage for two songs (“Stillness” and “No Intention” I think?). The show was already great before that, but everyone went so wild and was dancing like crazy when the Roots came out. The energy in the room was off the charts, and stayed in the air even after the guests left the stage. The band was supercharged too as they finished their pre-encore set in one of the strongest ways I’ve ever seen them play.

Dirty Projectors

During the short encore break another microphone was brought to the stage. At that point I knew there was no question that David Byrne would be joining Dirty Projectors once again (it previously happened at least two times – at the Dark Was the Night charity concert and then again at Bonnaroo). Sure enough, Mr. Byrne helped them end the two song encore with a slightly-unrehearsed version of Knotty Pine (the song he and the band wrote together for the Dark Was the Night album).

Amazing night. More pictures of the headliner and guests and the setlist below..

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Pictures of the openers to come.

Dirty Projectors’ next NYC show is at Lincoln Center.