[Photos by acidjack]
The Raleigh, NC based folk band Bowerbirds pulled off quite an achievement when they sold out the Bowery Ballroom – what they called “the best room that we’ve ever played” – on a Friday night and managed to keep the crowd rapt for their full 70-minute set. Theirs is not party music; the band strikes a modern chord with their lush instrumentation and arrangements, but keeps their vocal and melodic style more traditional than, say, the Devendra Banharts of the world. Band anchors Philip Moore and Beth Tacular have had several ups and downs during the band’s six-year history – the two have been together, broken up, and reunited during that time, and most recently, Tacular suffered a life-threatening illness. The Clearing, the band’s latest record, is the product of both. Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that this show opened with the climactic narrative track from that album, “This Year.” For Moore and Tacular, it has been a tough one.
From there came a set that was full of elegance and poise, as the band worked through a solid portion of The Clearing material, as well as several songs from 2009’s Upper Air. The live performances of these songs added additional depth not found on those records, as well as as surprising amount of energy. Several songs boasted reworked arrangements, guitar solos, and best of all, a few crowd sing-alongs. Moore thanked that crowd repeatedly throughout the night, and by set’s end, there was nobody left to win over. The show had been a success from start to finish.
I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardiod microphones and a nicely balanced soundboard feed from the Bowery team. The quality is excellent. Enjoy!
Stream “In Our Talons”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/B2303Bowerbirds2012/19 In Our Talons.mp3]
Stream “This Year”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/B2303Bowerbirds2012/01 This Year.mp3]
This recording is now available as a direct download in FLAC and MP3 formats at Archive.org [HERE].
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Bowerbirds
2012-03-23
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA
Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack
Schoeps MK5(c)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (light EQ on AUD source, mixdown, set fades, additional light EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample/dither to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )
Tracks [Total Time: 1:09:37]
01 This Year
02 In the Yard
03 Chimes
04 [banter]
05 Stitch the Hem
06 Walk the Furrows
07 House of Diamonds
08 Crooked Lust
09 [banter]
10 Death Wish [new]
11 [banter]
12 Brave World
13 Now We Hurry On
14 Northern Lights
15 Hush
16 Tuck the Darkness In
17 [encore break]
18 Hooves
19 In Our Talons
20 Overcome With Light
If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Bowerbirds, visit their website, and order The Clearing and their other releases from their online store [HERE]
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