Villagers & Erland and the Carnival played Knitting Factory & Mercury Lounge (pics & setlist)

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Villagers @ Knitting Factory

“The great thing about Conor and his crew, playing for as a full band on this tour, is the variety of styles and feelings. On the low end of the spectrum you have Conor and his guitar singing about a girl named Cecilia, who got killed and dismembered. The story ends up with the narrator seeking revenge on the killer. Then on high end you have Ship of Promises, a driving, aggressive track where he sings with strength and presence.

He’s not a traditional folk man — just a fine singer-songwriter. When I first heard his music, I was thinking he was like a Cat Stevens-Jim Croce type, where they mix folk with more traditional pop elements. For Villagers, you have plenty of piano and electronics to accompany his guitar playing. Also, he’s not passive or sheepish in his tunes or on stage. He sings with conviction and honesty. During 27 Strangers, which he did by himself, he stopped the song to ask the crowd if we use the term “queue” as in waiting in line. We don’t. So he figure he might have to rearrange the lyrics, but loose the cool rhyming scheme. In any event, the guy can flat out perform. I even liked his thick Irish accent coming through at certain points.” [Music Snobbery @ Mercury Lounge]

Villagers headlined Knitting Factory and then Mercury Lounge over the past two nights in NYC. Fellow Europeans Erland and the Carnival (who have more NYC shows coming up this week) opened both shows. More pictures from Knitting Factory, and the Villagers setlist from Mercury Lounge, below…

—
Erland and the Carnival

Villagers

Villagers Mercury Lounge setlist
The Meaning Of The Ritual
Home
Becoming a Jackal
Pieces
I Saw The Dead
Set The Tigers Free
Cecilia & Her Selfhood
27 Strangers
To Be Counted Among Men
The Pact (I’ll Be Your Fever)
That Day
Ship Of Promises
ENCORE:
Memoirs
On A Sunlit Stage