1366

Joanna Newsom played Grand Rapids Michigan w/ Bowerbirds (pics), Town Hall in NYC & DC (listen @ NPR.com)

photos by Graeme Flegenheimer

Joanna Newsom in Michigan

Joanna Newsom

“At Town Hall on Thursday night, in a sold-out 90-minute show mostly drawn from her new album, “Have One on Me,” (Drag City) she played the harp with precision but always with a little swing and bounce in the picking and damping. (She generates her own bass lines, too.) Her backing quintet had a drummer, Neal Morgan, but almost for color alone; he had far less rhythmic work to do than what she’d assigned to herself. Ryan Francesconi, the electric guitarist/banjoist/player of the Bulgarian tambura and kaval — and also the arranger of the new album’s songs — came in a distant second for most notes played, but he made them within the tightest parameters.” [NY Times]

Joanna Newsom‘s Thursday show at Town Hall was probably the one NYC show last week that I most wish didn’t coincide with SXSW. Luckily NPR is streaming the similar one that happened five nights later (aka last night) in DC (her 2nd night in a row at the same venue). More dates HERE.

The pictures in this post are from the first date of the tour (3/12) at Calvin College in Michigan where Bowerbirds opened. More pictures from that show, videos from Town Hall and the DC setlist below…

Bowerbirds in Michigan

Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds

Joanna Newsom in Michigan

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom

Town Hall

Town Hall

Town Hall

Town Hall

Joanna Newsom @ Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, D.C. – 3/23/2010 setlist
’81
Kingfisher
The Book of Right-On
Easy
Soft as Chalk
Inflammatory Writ
Good Intentions Paving Company
Have One on Me
You and Me, Bess
Monkey & Bear
Encore
Baby Birch