Last Friday we saw Belle & Sebastian and The New Pornographers at the Nokia Theater. We sat in the seats in the back with the NRR crowd, which was a good choice because I felt tired.
When listening to the New Pornographers recordings, I sometimes think of how the songs should be "hits". The live experience doesn't quite validate this feeling, and it pretty much hinges on Carl Newman's vocals. His voice just doesn't hold up with much power over the course of a live show. Other shows I've seen in the past have been picked up by Neko Case, but she wasn't there this time. Kathryn Calder sings well enough, and if the NPs are going to tour in the neko-less formation, they should really consider reworking some of the songs to give more vocals to Calder and less to Newman.
Belle and Sebastian were pretty nice sounding, but it was a bit Vegas-y for me. Very smooth and showy. I had a bad reaction to their Town Hall show last time around, and so this was better. But not nearly as good as Prospect Park a few years ago.
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