I’m not going to write about the concert as much as I wrote about socializing while I was there, in part because now it’s almost 2 in the morning and I’ve got to be up at 6:30. However, I will say they were fantastic, and loud, and energetic. They opened the night with songs off of Electric Version which is still my favorite of theirs, and they continued to play a lot of songs from that album. I’d expected a very Challengers-heavy setlist, and that album had its share of representation, but it was cool that they roamed through their catalog more freely.
When they played “A Testament to Youth in Verse,” I remembered that it was the very first song (that I liked at least) that they started to ask for. They called it the “no no no” song, which is a pretty obvious name for it if you have heard the song. There was a stretch of time when every time we were in the car, the kids would ask for that song, which always made me happy because I figured every moment training them to listen to bands like the New Pornographers will save me hours and hours of listening to the “I’m the Map” song from Dora or some cheesy recording of children singing Beatles covers. (Turns out that belief is somewhat true, but not quite as true as I wanted to believe it was.)
The band seemed to be having a lot of fun. At some point between songs the drummer popped the cap off his beer such that it hit the bass, so the bass player attempted to retaliate but missed with the cap, so he just started splashing the beer from his bottle at him. At which point Carl Newman noticed that they’d gotten beer on his guitar and started playing the part of the stern dad who was going to pull the concert over and deal with them if they didn’t settle down. When the drummer’s kick pedal malfunctioned, the band paused for a few minutes while he fixed it and the crowd started to get restless, and Neko promised that she was going to throw down and kick someone’s ass for whatever it was that he yelled. It doesn’t sound so funny there in print, but it was funny live. There was also recurring banter about pirates, scurvy, and tetanus.
But the most important thing was that I got to listen to some loud, powerful music. Do you know the poem “Loud Music” by Stephen Dobyns? ” Loud music does this, it wipes out the ego, / leaving turbulent water and winding road, / a landscape stripped of people and language– / how clear the air becomes, how sharp the colors.” Yeah, it was like that.
This is pretty much the way I lived in Boston. I met strangers every day. When I’d get bored I’d go for a walk and I’d run into people I knew and end up doing something I didn’t expect to do. Completely different from the way I live now. I miss it.
I’m also jealous that you got to see the NPs. You introduced me to them, you know. And no one ever comes to my centrally-isolated hamlet.
I’m still reeling from how much fun I had at the show last night!
The Cameron story is hysterical…. i really thought ya’ll were there together (thus my faux pas).
I’m looking for a full set list on line– do you know where i can find one? Google is not my friend today. Oh, and i should be working but i’m on a post-concert high. We stood on the floor, kind of just off center from Catherine about 6 folks back. My right ear is shot.
I went to see Bob Mould about a month after getting dumped by my partner. I remember feeling honed by sound, like my anger was pouring out and leaving everyone in the room gut-punched and shaken. Yeah, I understand.
I love how little ones will latch onto certain songs. My little girl is in love with Cake’s “Shadow Stabbing”, which she refers to as “Say It All”, and it hasn’t quite driven me to distraction. She will tolerate Postal Service and the Shins, so perhaps there is still hope. *grin*
New Pornographers joking about pirates sounds like fun even on screen. I can only imagine what it was like live.
I was sure that I had left a reply here a couple of weeks ago. Hmm. Anyway, Justin, I could totally see you doing that. I know what you mean about missing it.
Inanna: I had not known that I was the one who introduced you to them, or I’d forgotten. Glad I did though.
Hi Lauren! It was nice to see you and glad you got that night out.
Bridgett: Yeah, music is awesome for that sort of thing.
Megin: They were really funny. It took the drummer a really long time to get his pedal fixed and they just stood there making fun of themselves and the audience. Totally enjoyable. I bet Neko Case is great to hang around with.