steve-gunn

Steve Gunn wrapped up Union Pool residency (review, setlist)

“We’ll be playing new songs tonight, and trying to figure out how to end them,” Steve Gunn joked to the crowd at his third and final show of his Union Pool residency on Thursday (11/8), adding later that he’s played the Brooklyn venue so many times he’s lost count. There were clearly a lot of friends and family in the audience who were psyched to hear songs from Steve’s upcoming album The Unseen In Between, as well as some older favorites, and a couple covers.

Steve started out his set solo with a cover of “Among the Trees” by Michael Chapman, with whom Steve has toured and said he considers a mentor. He then brought out his band, easing the crowd in with “Lurker” from 2013’s Time Off, and the title cut from 2014’s Way Out Weather. Then came the first three songs off the upcoming album: first single “New Moon,” which has an almost “Ode to Billie Joe” vibe to its riff; “New Moon,” which has a distinct Johnny Marr style to its riffing (very Queen is Dead era, specifically); and the languid “Chance” which might have the most immediate chorus of the three. He and his band also played four other new ones over the course of the night — the dreamy “New Familiar,” “Lightning Fields” with some fiery, signature Steve Gunn guitarwork, and the gorgeous “Morning has Mended” which closed out the night. Right before “Morning Has Mended,” he played the new LP’s closer, the rather anthemic “Paranoid,” before shifting the song into a very laid back take on The Velvet Underground’s “Oh Sweet Nuthin.” Setlist from the show is below.

The night began with a set from Nathan Bowles, who played a set of twangy, folky experimental instrumentals with a drummer and stand-up bassist, which reminded me a bit of the Deadwood score, and then a set from Little Black Egg, aka Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley and Ira Kaplan in ambient/drone mode on guitar and sax, respectively.

The Unseen In Between is out January 18 via Matador, and you can catch Steve on tour in 2019 after the album’s out, starting at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom on February 1 with Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore, whose new collaborative album came out today (tickets).

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SETLIST: Steve Gunn @ Union Pool 11/8/2018
Among The Trees (Michael Chapman cover)
Lurker
Way Out Weather
New Moon
Vagabond
Chance
New Familiar
Lightning Fields
Paranoid > Oh Sweet Nuthin
Morning is Mended