Guest Blog: New Pornographers, 9:30 Club, Nov 22, 2014

After a concert-packed fall and a babysitter falling through, I decided that no matter how good a show New Pornographers are reputed to give, I just couldn't manage another concert. The show was a sell-out on a Saturday night, so I figured I'd have a pretty easy time selling my tickets at cost, and I did. I reached out to the Meetup group for that concert and Michael wrote back wanting them. We met and had a great music conversation during the ticket hand-off and I asked him to let me know how the concert was. Wow was I surprised by what he reported back. Michael ended up with one of the coolest concert stories I've heard, and I talked him into writing it up for us here. The unbelievable part is at the bottom, with photo evidence. Enjoy! Anita


My friend Marlene and I  arrived just in time for the last two songs of the opener The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and we immediately regretted not arriving 9:30 Club earlier. Their sound had a jumpy popish beat, which was a good fit to open for The New Pornographers. I hope to see them again one day.

The New Pornographers came out blasting with their new album's title song, "Brill Bruisers." The crowd was hyped up and ready to move to the song's intense bounce. You felt like it was going to be one of the band's best shows ever from the first note. The second song came right from the mind of the eclectic and brilliant Dan Bejar; his  "Myriad Harbour" off of "Challengers." Dan's songs are always greeted with extreme enthusiasm and rightly so. To me, he's like the George Harrison of The New Pornographers, but really a complete original. I could tell throughout the night that the crowd was in real anticipation of more Bejar songs.

But A.C. (Carl) Newman isn't too shabby either! We pounce and rock into the jumpy "Sing Me Spanish Techno", another one off the almost-rock album "Challengers." I really like all their songs from "Mass Romantic" to "Brill Bruisers," and was never calling out for any song in particular, but and acoustic version of "Go Places" during the encore (which some people use as a wedding song) hit me in an intense emotional way. I recovered soon after and danced with Marlene to "Mass Romantic" with the lyric "Like everyone wants to say "I love you" To someone on the radio, radio."

There's hardly a need to say the obvious, everyone worshipped Neko Case. I count myself as one of her humble admirers, and couldn't wait to hear her vocals on "Adventure in Solitude" and many other songs.

Michael, Kathryn Calder, Dan Bejar (latter two from TNP)

Kathryn Calder has an amazing voice and is so pretty, your heart breaks instantly. Kathryn and Dan were very gracious letting Marlene take a picture of me with them. I told Kathryn how much I like her solo work, and Dan's Destroyer. I was giddy and not ashamed of it. Neko only gave us a wave saying she hates taking pictures, but

John Collins, Marlene, Sean Fancey

Sean Fancey was incredibly nice to talk to us for an hour in the cold, and John Collins stopped by so I could take a picure of them with Marlene. No Carl sightings but I was well excited and satisfied meeting 4 of the band members. It truly was a special night.

Set List 11-22-2014 9:30 Club

I will never forget this concert. The set list is tattooed on my iPhone for life.

Cheers,
Michael