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In their first U.S. show in four years, Kings of Convenience returned to America, playing the Bowery Ballroom in New York on September 10, 2009. This was a special night, as singer Feist helped closed out the show.
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Save for their breakout single, “I’d Rather Dance With You,” Kings of Convenience’s music is typically the kind of fare that lulls you into a dreamy sleep or provides an ideal soundtrack to a rainy afternoon. I thought their live show would be just as low key, but coupled with their humor and warmth, Erlend Øye and Eirik Bøe had plenty of surprises (including a special, Mac-compatible friend) to keep anyone from drifting off.
As there was no opening band, there was a palpable sense of excitement within the crowd as Erlend and Eirik finally took the stage. For one thing, their music is quite subdued and most of their songs require silence from the audience to be fully appreciated. For most of the show, the audience adopted sort of a hushed awe as they played, making it one of the most reverent shows I have attended at Bowery Ballroom. As the boys often reminded us, this was their first show in New York in four-and-a-half years, so the audience seemed hellbent on making it special for them. At one point, someone in the audience yelled, “Play some old stuff!” and she was immediately booed into submission. The crowd that night was oddly defensive of the boys, wanting them to feel as welcome and loved as possible. It was sweet, but also somewhat off-putting. This is how cults form, right?
The band made it easy to incite such passion, as they were charming and hilarious all through the set. As a contrast to their lyrical and delicate songs, they told several quirky, amusing anecdotes (including a particularly endearing one about spilling espresso on Eirik’s pants) and Erlend made everyone swoon with his haphazard, quasi-robotic dancing. They even managed to complain about loud photography graciously, posing like pouting male models for two minutes to provide ample material for the cameras. With their offbeat banter and obvious camaraderie, they came off as sort of a melodic, quieter version of Flight of the Conchords – but with tons more street cred, of course.
Oh, and there was music too. The first half of the set was devoted to the upcoming album, Declaration of Dependence. The new songs weren’t a huge departure from their previous material, but they prove that they are masters at crafting perfect, intricate melodies with seamless vocals. They debuted songs like “24-25” and “Mrs. Cold,” and the audience swayed in appreciation. My personal favorite, “Boat Behind,” features jaunty acoustic guitars and a simple “oh-oh-oh” chorus in their signature blend of flawless harmonies.
The second half of the show was all old favorites, including “Misread” and “Little Kids.” They stayed away from their more popular songs, but once again, the audience didn’t seem to mind. Their final song before the encore was a completely unexpected but perfect cover of Leslie Gore’s “It’s My Party.” They sang about Judy and Johnny with such goofy sincerity that they left the audience completely smitten, practically heartbroken for an encore.
They obliged and returned with “The Build-Up,” a duet from their previous album, Riot on an Empty Street. Someone behind me said, “I wonder who’s going to sing the Feist part,” and lo and behold, a voice beckoned from the balcony above us – Feist! The audience let out a collective gasp, Erlend and Eirik grinned like little boys, the photographers elbowed people in the nose for a good shot, and I was filled with the sudden urge to buy an iPod nano. It was a lovely surprise, and she eventually joined them on stage, prompting everyone to go completely ape-shit and inciting a tidal wave of frenzied Tweeting.
But despite this, I left the show in a quiet and happy mood. It was exactly the kind of feelings a good Kings of Convenience song conjures up: a sense of calm that lingers for a while, making you both wistful and hopeful at the same time.
Declaration of Dependence is out October 20, 2009 on Virgin Records.
>>>
Save for their breakout single, “I’d Rather Dance With You,” Kings of Convenience’s music is typically the kind of fare that lulls you into a dreamy sleep or provides an ideal soundtrack to a rainy afternoon. I thought their live show would be just as low key, but coupled with their humor and warmth, Erlend Øye and Eirik Bøe had plenty of surprises (including a special, Mac-compatible friend) to keep anyone from drifting off.
As there was no opening band, there was a palpable sense of excitement within the crowd as Erlend and Eirik finally took the stage. For one thing, their music is quite subdued and most of their songs require silence from the audience to be fully appreciated. For most of the show, the audience adopted sort of a hushed awe as they played, making it one of the most reverent shows I have attended at Bowery Ballroom. As the boys often reminded us, this was their first show in New York in four-and-a-half years, so the audience seemed hellbent on making it special for them. At one point, someone in the audience yelled, “Play some old stuff!” and she was immediately booed into submission. The crowd that night was oddly defensive of the boys, wanting them to feel as welcome and loved as possible. It was sweet, but also somewhat off-putting. This is how cults form, right?
The band made it easy to incite such passion, as they were charming and hilarious all through the set. As a contrast to their lyrical and delicate songs, they told several quirky, amusing anecdotes (including a particularly endearing one about spilling espresso on Eirik’s pants) and Erlend made everyone swoon with his haphazard, quasi-robotic dancing. They even managed to complain about loud photography graciously, posing like pouting male models for two minutes to provide ample material for the cameras. With their offbeat banter and obvious camaraderie, they came off as sort of a melodic, quieter version of Flight of the Conchords – but with tons more street cred, of course.
Oh, and there was music too. The first half of the set was devoted to the upcoming album, Declaration of Dependence. The new songs weren’t a huge departure from their previous material, but they prove that they are masters at crafting perfect, intricate melodies with seamless vocals. They debuted songs like “24-25” and “Mrs. Cold,” and the audience swayed in appreciation. My personal favorite, “Boat Behind,” features jaunty acoustic guitars and a simple “oh-oh-oh” chorus in their signature blend of flawless harmonies.
The second half of the show was all old favorites, including “Misread” and “Little Kids.” They stayed away from their more popular songs, but once again, the audience didn’t seem to mind. Their final song before the encore was a completely unexpected but perfect cover of Leslie Gore’s “It’s My Party.” They sang about Judy and Johnny with such goofy sincerity that they left the audience completely smitten, practically heartbroken for an encore.
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Feist
photo: Jessica Amaya
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But despite this, I left the show in a quiet and happy mood. It was exactly the kind of feelings a good Kings of Convenience song conjures up: a sense of calm that lingers for a while, making you both wistful and hopeful at the same time.
Declaration of Dependence is out October 20, 2009 on Virgin Records.
Kings of Convenience at Bowery Ballroom, New York (10 Sep 2009) photo courtesy of Robyn Lee
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