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Wild Flag, Mission of Burma & Ted Leo played Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park (pics, videos)

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Andrew Sacher

Wild Flag/Mission of Burma at Prospect Park – 8/3/12
Wild Flag
Mission of Burma

This summer’s free Celebrate Brooklyn shows in Prospect Park continued on Friday (8/3) with a great co-headlining double bill of Wild Flag and Mission of Burma, and support from a solo Ted Leo set. People began lining up in Prospect Park at least a half hour before doors opened and by the time Ted Leo began his set at 7 PM many of the chairs had filled up and others took more casually to the grass area in the back, some of who were sitting on free blankets provided by show sponsor Google Play (who also had a stage at Lollapalooza over the weekend).

The entire bill was made up of artists who have left a lasting stamp on indie rock, and all three were terrific as usual. Ted Leo‘s opening set included a number of Pharmacists songs, and he also revealed two new ones for the first time (one of which you can watch a video of below). He was both modest (he called a performance of one of the new songs “half baked”) and in good spirits the whole time, cracking wtty jokes like, “This next one’s for Park Slope, it’s called ‘The Little Smug Supper Club.'” (Though at the end of the song he said, “I shouldn’t talk, I live in Brooklyn Heights.”)

After Ted, Mission of Burma kept things going with a set which continued to prove, four albums into their post-reunion career, that they are still a necessary band. The new material is just as genuine as the early-’80s output and the band members are just as (or more) lively and youthful than many of the bands who took after them. Drummer Peter Prescott is playfully sarcastic while the other members keep a bit quieter with stage banter but create massive levels of noise with their instruments — especially guitarist Roger Miller, whose playing is equally sloppy and noisy as it is precise and melodic, not unlike J Mascis who he likely had influence on.

Then Wild Flag closed out the night with a killer set made up mostly of material from their 2011 debut, including standout tracks like “Glass Tambourine,” “Boom,” and “Romance,” plus deeper cuts like the always-intense “Racehorse,” which was a bit less drawn out at this show than past performances, but still one of Carrie Brownstein’s most shining moments in the set. They also mixed a few new songs into their set, like they’ve been doing at other 2012 shows. Upon returning for their encore, Carrie said that since they were in New York, one of the greatest places for music, they’d play some NY covers. The band then proceeded to bang out covers of Television’s “See No Evil” and Patti Smith’s “Ask the Angels,” doing more than justice to both songs. A video of both covers is below.

The free Celebrate Brooklyn shows in Prospect Park continue on August 10 with Little Dragon and Frankie Rose. More pictures and videos from last Friday’s show are below…

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Ted Leo

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Wild Flag – “See No Evil” & “Ask the Angels” at Prospect Park – 8/3/12

Mission of Burma at Prospect Park – 8/3/12

Ted Leo – new song at Prospect Park – 8/3/12