The Feelies played three nights at Rough Trade (pics, setlists, videos)

The Feelies were just in NYC what has turned into an annual weekend of shows. Like they did last year, they played three “An Evening With” shows at Rough Trade where they played two main sets and then returned for a bunch of covers-filled encores. The band are spread out all over the U.S. these days and don’t tour as much as they play short, concentrated bursts of shows like this, so the fans come to them. At Saturday night’s show I talked to people who had traveled to New York from Spain and Switzerland just to see them. I may have only walked a few blocks, but The Feelies did not disappoint.

Glen Mercer, Bill Million, Brenda Sauter, Stanley Demeski and Dave Weckerman slowly worked themselves into a lather, with the first set being more gentle songs, including many from their two most recent albums, leading up to a triple-shot from The Good Earth and then “Original Love” from Crazy Rhythms. The second set was pretty revved-up, kicking off with “Waiting” from Time for a Witness, and including “Away,” “Too Far Gone” and “Higher Ground” from 1988’s Only Life, plus “Moscow Nights,” “Doin’ it Again” “Sooner or Later” and “Crazy Rhytms.” The first encore gave us “Slipping (Into Something)” and a reprise of “In Between” and then we got covers of The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, and The Modern Lovers.

The band were in good mood, with Brenda doing most of the talking between songs (though there wasn’t much). During the second set, all warmed up, Glen Mercer was hopping around and nailing some blazing solos (“Away” was particularly hot) and it was fun to see what odd instrument Dave Weckerman would pull out of his bag of tricks next. The nearly three-hour show flew by. Setlists for all three Rough Trade shows, plus a few more pictures and videos, below.

We are very lucky in NYC to get The Feelies on a yearly basis and any chance to see them should not be taken lightly. They’ll play Kingston, NY’s  BSP Kingston on May 11 (tickets) and Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live on May 12 (tickets), and then they have dates in DC and North Carolina in June. All dates are listed below.

At the Rough Trade shows they had copies of the Young Wu album Shore Leave — which was basically The Feelies but with percussionist Dave Weckerman writing the songs and singing – which is being reissued for Record Store Day (which is this Saturday, 4/21).

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SETLIST: The Feelies @ Rough Trade 4/13/2018 (via)
Set 1
When Company Comes
Stay the Course
Nobody Knows
Should Be Gone
Been Replaced
Pass the Time
Flag Days
Let’s Go
On The Roof
Fa Ce-La

Set 2
Gone, Gone, Gone
I’m Waiting for the Man (The Velvet Underground cover)
Higher Ground
The Final Word
Decide
Slipping (Into Something)
Away
Doin’ It Again
Too Far Gone
Sooner or Later
Raised Eyebrows
Crazy Rhythms

Encore:
No Fun (Iggy and The Stooges cover)
Needles in the Camel’s Eye (Brian Eno cover)
We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (The Velvet Underground cover)
Sedan Delivery (Neil Young & Crazy Horse cover)
See No Evil (Television cover)
Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones cover)
Seven Days (Bob Dylan cover)
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey (The Beatles cover)

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SETLIST: The Feelies @ Rough Trade 4/14/2018 (via)
Set 1
In Between
Pass the Time
Later On
Time Will Tell
Turn Back Time
Flag Days
Make It Clear
Been Replaced
Should Be Gone
Nobody Knows
The Good Earth
The High Road
On The Roof
Original Love

Set 2
Waiting
Decide
Moscow Nights
Higher Ground
The Final Word
Gone, Gone, Gone
For Awhile
Away
Sooner or Later
Loveless Love
Doin’ It Again
Too Far Gone
Raised Eyebrows
Crazy Rhythms

Encore:
Slipping (Into Something)
In Between (Reprise)

Encore 2:
We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (The Velvet Underground cover)
Real Cool Time (The Stooges cover)

Encore 3:
Astral Plane (The Modern Lovers cover)
I Can’t Stand It (The Velvet Underground cover)

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The Feelies – 2018 Tour Dates
May 11, 2018 – Bsp Kingston, Kingston (NY)
May 12, 2018 – World Cafe Live, Philadelphia (PA)
June 22, 2018 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
June 23, 2018 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC