07.20.10
Crowded House @ The Bowery Ballroom
“I ‘ll bring the house down…I feel possessed when you come round..”
Neil Finn opened the show with “I Feel Possessed”, the lead off tune from their second album and it pretty much summed up the band’s performance last night at the Bowery Ballroom in NY, a near perfect set that balanced old songs with new, spontaneity with precision arrangements. The humor and stage presence that the band is known for was in full effect, Neil teasing fellow band mates Nick and Mark. New drummer Matt Sherrod played with joy and abandon and locked into the band in a way that made the whole group sound much bigger than the sum of their parts.
The set leaned on many of the perennial favorites but also delved deeply into the band’s second album “The Temple Of Low Men”. The song “When You Come” became rousing anthem and “Mansion In The Slums” was given a semi-acoustic treatment.
There were plenty of opportunities for the band to stretch out and Neil and Mark switched effortlessly between guitar and keyboard. Neil had a small keyboard on a stand that was rigged to a vocoder and he used it for musical (and sometimes comical) effects.
Mark perfectly complemented Neil’s voice with his harmony singing and even took the lead vocal on the George Jones/Tammy Wynette number “We’re Not The Jet Set”. He played quite a bit of lap steel during the night which gave the music an ethereal (as opposed to country) vibe.
The evening turned out to be a family affair of sorts, with Neil’s son Liam lending his vocals and acoustic guitar to “Time On Earth’s” songs “English Trees” and “Say That Again”. Neil’s wife Sharon also took to the stage to sing backing vocals for one of the songs from the just released “Intriguer” CD.
“Woodface” was well represented, as well as “Together Alone”..in fact, the only CD that wasn’t covered (except for “Don’t Dream It’s Over”) was the first one. But it didn’t matter to the audience last night..they were true fans, not nostalgia buffs looking to hear “just the hits”.
There was much joking around on stage,with Neil changing up the lyrics of “Chocolate Cake” to comment on Lindsay Lohan’s current state and even poking fun at his own songwriting by singing the verse of Neil Young’s “Down By The River” over the opening chords to “Weather With You” (the chord sequence is in fact identical).
The only disappointment for me was that they didn’t do some of the songs that I had seen listed on one of their fairly current on line set lists such as “Whispers and Moans” and the David Bowie song “Moonage Daydream” (check the C.H. website for a live video of the song)…but this was definitely offset by the inclusion surprises such as “Hole In The River”….and an overall amazing set that ran for over two hours.
The sound and lighting were all first rate and the opening act “Lawrence Arabia” is well worth seeing..engaging and fun.
CROWDED HOUSE SETLIST
I Feel Possessed
Saturday Sun
Fall at Your Feet
Don’t Stop Now
Either Side of the World
Twice if You’re Lucky
Private Universe
Black and White Boy
Say That Again
English Trees
Hole in the River
Don’t Dream it’s Over
Isolation
Archer’s Arrow
Mansion in the Slums
Love is All That Remains
Four Seasons in One Day
(We’re Not) The Jet Set
When You Come
Distant Sun
It’s Only Natural
ENCORE
In My Command
Weather With You
Chocolate Cake
Elephants
