51 search results for "fiery furnaces"

[photo by Robert Loerzel]

In the spirit of the primary season, the Fiery Furnaces are accepting ballots from the fans attending their Winter tour. The songs with the most votes are performed in order at the end of the standard set. At Maxwell’s last night, the ballots were cast and the fans were the winners, as we were treated to rare numbers not performed in years. When I spoke to Matt after the show, he said that he and Eleanor had gone back and re-learned all of the old numbers in anticipation of any request.

So we braved the horrendous weather to see our favorite band at our favorite venue and we were not disappointed. Although it was the first night of the tour, the Furnaces were in fine form and worked flawlessly through a rearranged setlist before counting the ballots. Despite the surprise winners (Eleanor: “I told Matt, no one is going to request that”), the request numbers were performed in their entirety. We even got to hear Matt sing for the first time in a couple of years.

The recording offered here is another first for this site. We mixed our DPA microphones (positioned in the ideal location) with a feed from the soundboard in a “matrix” mix through the Edirol UA-5 which permits four channels of input. We believe that in the past our small club recordings of the Furnaces were perhaps too drum heavy, and the board feed permitted us to correctly mix the vocals and keyboards with the rhythm section. This is the best possible recording of this band, and we are extremely pleased with the results. Many thanks to Matt for his continued permission to record and his support of this site, and of course to Maxwell’s and its talented sound crew. Enjoy!

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Fiery Furnaces
2008-01-17
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard/Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Front of Board DPA 4021 > Edirol UA-5 (Oade Digimod) > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 > 16bit 44.1kHz wav file > Soundforge (set fades, slight level boost, no EQ) > CD Wave 1.95 > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2008-01-18

Setlist:
[total time 1:12:02]
Democ-rock Set:
01 Navy Nurse
02 Japanese Slippers
03 The Garfield El
04 A Candymaker’s Knife in My Handbag
05 Forty-Eight Twenty-Three Twenty-Second Street
06 Seven Silver Curses
07 Slavin’ Away
08 Duplexes of the Dead
09 Automatic Husband
10 Ex-Guru
11 Blueberry Boat
12 Right By Conquest
13 Mandolin and Maracas
14 Waiting to Know You
15 Philadelphia Grand Jury
16 Clear Signal From Cairo
Roll the Dice Set:
17 Two Fat Feet
18 Chief Inspector Blancheflower
19 Benton Harbor Blues
20 Paw Paw Tree
21 Asthma Attack

If you download this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Fiery Furnaces visit their website, and purchase their official releases including their brilliant new album Widow City.

The Fiery Furnaces Winter Tour continues:
1/18 South Burlington, VT / Higher Ground / All Ages / $12
1/19 Portland, ME / Space Gallery / 18+ / $12
1/21 Rochester, NY / The Bug Jar / 18+ / $12
1/22 Buffalo, NY / The Tralf / All Ages / $12
1/23 State College, PA / Lulu’s / All Ages / $12
1/24 Columbus, OH / The Basement / All Ages / $12
1/25 Baltimore, MD / Ottobar / All Ages / $12
1/26 Charlottesville, VA / Satellite Ballroom / All Ages / $15
1/27 Washington, DC / 9:30 Club / All Ages / $15 w/ Super Furry Animals
1/29 Carrboro, NC / Cat’s Cradle / All Ages / $15 w/ Super Furry Animals
1/30 Atlanta, GA / Variety Playhouse / All Ages / $15 w/ Super Furry Animals
1/31 New Orleans, LA / The Republic / 18+ / $15 w/ Super Furry Animals
FEBRUARY
2/1 Dallas, TX / Granada Theater / All Ages / $15 w/ Super Furry Animals
2/2 Houston, TX / The Proletariat / All Ages / $12
2/4 Memphis, TN / Hi-Tone Cafe / 18+ / $10
2/5 Oxford, MS / Proud Larry’s / 18+ / $10
2/6 Nashville, TN / Exit/In / 18+ / $14
2/7 Birmingham, AL / Bottletree / 18+
2/8 Asheville, NC / Grey Eagle Tavern / $13
2/9 Knoxville, TN / Pilot Light / 18+

[photo credit]

The Fiery Furnaces performed their 8th and final NYC-area concert of 2007 on Saturday in Williamsburg. This was the 5th time nyctaper has seen and recorded the Furnaces this year — and this performance was the most consistently excellent of all. The band seemed to be having quite a bit of fun, and Eleanor was energetic, confident, and strong of voice. A fine detailed review can be found at the Fluxblog (here).

Fiery Furnaces will be touring in January and February with Super Furry Animals for a handful of dates. There are also as-yet-unofficial local dates in January with the Furnaces as headliners (January 17 at Maxwell’s has been confirmed).

This concert was recorded from the best location in this venue. Quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Fiery Furnaces
2007-12-08
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from FOB
Dead Center 30 Feet from PA

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > 16bit 44.1 wav > Soundforge (set fades, level boost, slight eq) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2007-12-09

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:19:35]
01 The Philadelphia Grand Jury
02 Navy Nurse
03 My Egyptian Grammar
04 Evergreen
05 Duplexes of the Dead
06 More Automatic Husband
07 Ex-Guru
08 Black-hearted Boy
09 Bitter Tea
10 Right by Conquest
11 The Garfield El
12 A Candymaker’s Knife in My Handbag
13 Forty-Eight Twenty-Three Twenty-Second Street
14 Seven Silver Curses
15 Slavin’ Away
16 Don’t Dance Her Down
17 Single Again/Smelling Cigarettes/Single Again
18 Don’t Dance Her Down
19 Japanese Slippers
20 Widow City
21 Restorative Beer
22 Clear Signal From Cairo
23 [encore break]
24 Tropical Ice-Land
25 Police Sweater Blood Vow
26 Bright Blue Tie
27 Waiting to Know You
28 Blueberry Boat

If you download this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Fiery Furnaces and visit their website

[photo credit – From our friends at twi-ny]

The Fiery Furnaces continue to invent new ways to entertain their fans. At the Hiro Ballroom last night, the final show on the US leg of their Widow City tour, the Furnaces added a written/call-out request segment to their show. Following a tight 45-minute set which began and ended with the new material, and contained a nice medley of Rehearsing My Choir material in the middle, Eleanor read from some notes passed up on stage (as their website suggested) and fielded shouted requests. The last 20 minutes of the performance featured some oldies, some false-starts, and much humor. The band continues their tour with a trip to Europe that begins on Tuesday, and goes throughout to the end of November.

My recording of this concert was a bit of an ordeal. I arrived very early, with plans to record one of the opening acts on the bill, Pit Er Pat. However, after nearly completing the set-up of the Neumann rig, I discovered that my fully-charged lithium battery (that powers the entire rig), had completely died. I broke down the rig, left the venue, and took the L train all the way home again. I retrieved my DPA rig, returned to the venue, and arrived in time to record the Furnaces.

The Hiro Ballroom is a neat little venue with an excellent sound system. I positioned myself in the back section of the floor, in the center of the stacks, and recorded a fine stereo mix. Enjoy!

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Fiery Furnaces
2007-11-03
Hiro Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Dead Center
Approximately 30 feet from PA

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2007-11-03

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:11:43]
Main Set:
01 The Philadelphia Grand Jury
02 Navy Nurse
03 My Egyptian Grammar
04 Evergreen
05 Duplexes of the Dead
06 More Automatic Husband
07 Ex-Guru
08 Black-hearted Boy
09 Bitter Tea
10 Right by Conquest
11 A Candymaker’s Knife in My Handbag
12 Forty-Eight Twenty-Three Twenty-Second Street
13 Seven Silver Curses
14 Slavin’ Away
15 Japanese Slippers
16 Widow City
17 Restorative Beer
18 Clear Signal From Cairo
Request Set:
19 Inca Rag (partial)
20 Whistle Rhapsody
21 Blueberry Boat
22 My Dog Was Lost But Now He’s Found
23 Single Again/Smelling Cigarettes/Single Again
24 Don’t Dance Her Down

If you download this recording PLEASE SUPPORT The Fiery Furnaces, visit their site, and purchase Widow City:

The new Fiery Furnaces CD Widow City is due for general release on October 9. Sound Fix Records in Brooklyn offered it for sale exclusively on Saturday night, and the Fiery Furnaces were there to celebrate and performed a 35-minute live set featuring 9 of the Widow City songs.

The band is rehearsing for their upcoming tour, and the new material has already taken a life of its own. In particular, the 3-song medley of Duplexes>Husband>Ex-Guru was tight and focused, with “Ex-Guru” having already morphed into a power-pop number.

The experienced readers of this site have had the opportunity to witness the evolution of my interest in the Fiery Furnaces, from a curiosity to rabid fan. In June, when Morrissey canceled, I took advantage of an open night and recorded (here) a band I had only experienced through an Of Montreal cover of one Fiery Furnaces song. Thereafter, thoroughly impressed with the band, I bought Bitter Tea, recorded them again in August (here), and have not looked back.

Last night I had the pleasure of chatting with Matt after the performance. He was pleasant, showed appreciation for my recordings and my site, and thanked me for coming to the shows. When an artist of this talent proves to be modest and appreciative, it becomes truly a pleasure to thank and support them at my site.

The recording offered for download below was captured from 10 feet in front of the PA, and is crystal clear. Although the crowd was packed into the small cafe in the rear of Sound Fix, it was a group of true fans who were respectful of the performance. There’s no chatter on this recording, only support. Enjoy!

Download the complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Fiery Furnaces
2007-10-06
Sound Fix Records
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Dead Center
Approximately 10 feet from PA

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > 16bit 44.1 wav > Soundforge (set fades, level boost, slight eq) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2007-10-07

Setlist:
[Total Time 33:46]
01 The Philadelphia Grand Jury
02 Navy Nurse
03 My Egyptian Grammar
04 Evergreen
05 Duplexes of the Dead
06 More Automatic Husband
07 Ex-Guru
08 Japanese Slippers
09 Restorative Beer
10 Right by Conquest

As with all artists featured at this site, if you download this recording PLEASE SUPPORT The Fiery Furnaces, visit their site, and purchase Widow City:

Oh, what a perfect day. The Fiery Furnaces played for free in a beautiful park on a beautiful day, and all was right with the world. The crowd had a buzz, but remained attentive and supportive. The band sounded terrific and performed a short but tight set. With the East River behind them, and Socrates Sculpture Park before them, the Fiery Furnaces whirled through the live Bitter Tea suite, before closing out with a 30-minute medley of older songs. Eleanor was strong of voice, as the band was driven by the unique beats of double percussionists and anchored by Matt’s direction and keys.

My recording conditions were also ideal. Many thanks to Spencer, the admin from fieryfurnaces.com forum, both the band and management approved my recording. As a result, I was able to utilize my best equipment from the perfect location–centered directly in front of the soundboard, 25 feet from the stage and PA speakers. As you’ll hear in the download below, the results are truly profound.

This Fall, the Fiery Furnaces will release their new album Widow City, and will embark on a tour across the country. The NYC date is November 3 at Hiro Ballroom.

The complete show in FLAC files available [HERE].

More about FLAC

Fiery Furnaces
2007-08-26
Socrates Sculpture Park
Queens, New York USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from in Front of the Soundboard Booth
Dead Center approximately 25 feet from PA
8 foot Microphone Stand

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > flac

Premiere Download offered at
https://www.nyctaper.com
nyctaper@nyctaper.com

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2007-08-26

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:11:10]
01 [Introduction]
02 In My Little Thatched Hut
03 I’m in No Mood to Comb My Hair
04 Black-Hearted Boy
05 Bitter Tea
06 I’m Waiting to Know You
07 The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry
08 Oh Sweet Woods
09 Borneo
10 Benton Harbor Blues
11 Whistle Rhapsody
12 Teach Me Sweetheart
13 Bitter Tea
14 [stage banter]
15 Single Again
16 Wicker Whatnots
17 Quay Cur
18 I’m Gonna Run
19 Here Comes the Summer
20 Blueberry Boat
21 Tropical Ice-Land
22 Spaniolated
23 Name Game
24 Birdie Brain
25 1917

As with all artists featured on this site, if you download this recording please click the link below to purchase official Fiery Furnaces releases

I was introduced to the music of the Fiery Furnaces through a live cover of their song “Tropical Ice-land” by Of Montreal. Kevin Barnes called their Blueberry Boat the album he “goes to sleep with at night”.

When one door closes, sometimes another better door opens. When Morrissey postponed his show (see below), I was fortunate that a concert of this quality was also scheduled in the NYC area. After securing a ticket through craigslist, it was off to Jersey.

Its hard to describe the music of Fiery Furnaces without engaging in weird musical juxtapositions. They perform oddly accessible alt-pop, with a dry sense of humor, and strange twists of melody. My best absurd description would be the 1975-era Patti Smith fronting a band with members of Captain Beefheart.

The Maxwell’s performance captured below was superb in all respects. The sound quality, the performance, and the energy of the crowd and the band were all outstanding.

Direct download of complete show in FLAC [HERE].

More about FLAC

Fiery Furnaces
2007-06-30
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from in Front of the Soundboard Booth

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2007-07-01

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:24:07]
01 Japanese Slippers
02 In My Little Thatched Hut
03 I’m in No Mood to Comb My Hair
04 Black-Hearted Boy
05 Bitter Tea
06 I’m Waiting to Know You
07 The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry
08 Oh Sweet Woods
09 Borneo
10 Benton Harbor Blues
11 Whistle Rhapsody
12 Teach Me Sweetheart
13 Bitter Tea
14 Single Again
15 Wicker
16 Quay Cur
17 I’m Gonna Run
18 Here Comes the Summer
19 Blueberry Boat
20 Tropical Ice-Land
21 Spaniolated
22 Name Game
23 Birdie Brain
24 1917
Encores:
25 Police Sweater Blood Vow
26 Restorative Beer
27 Widow City

As with all concerts featured on this site, please support this unique artist, and buy their latest album.

[photo courtesy of Greg Aiello]

Its been almost three years since we last saw MGMT. That night they opened up for Fiery Furnaces at Music Hall, and MGMT was soon to sign with a major label and release their outstanding debut Oracular Spectacular (we bought a pre-release copy at their merch table that night). We recorded that 2007 show and passed along a copy to their management with good vibes all around. When the CD was released, accolades and popularity soon followed and the band ultimately received a grammy nomination earlier this year. I’ll admit to losing track of MGMT when they blew up, but a recent post on their Facebook page drew us back in — “we are not restricting audio recording all current shows”. Upon reading that invitation I couldn’t help but hope that their positive experience with our taping three years ago helped open their eyes to the positives of a pro-taping policy. As the band is now on tour to support their new release Congratulations, so I bought a ticket for last night’s show at Radio City. The most striking aspect of the night before the lights went down was the age (or lack thereof) of a large portion of the audience — many early teens and pre-teens with their parents. While I guess this is a sign of mass popularity — two sold-out shows at Radio City nothwithstanding — MGMT didn’t pander to the youth. In particular, “Siberian Breaks” is an eight minute song with downbeat lyrics and it appeared in the setlist immediately preceding their most popular number “Kids”. MGMT also took time to explore their psychedelic side as “The Handshake” contained a lengthy dissonant jam. In between, the band did serve up the songs to satisfy the crowd, as “Electric Feel” (sampled below) was the third song of the set. We left with the feeling that although MGMT is probably more popular than even they might have imagined, the band has not lost their focus nor do they cater to the mainstream.

I recorded this set from an excellent location in the venue with my best mobile rig. We are a bit disappointed in the level of the vocals in the house mix, but overall the sound is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Electric Feel”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M4530MGMT3429/03%20MGMT2010-08-17_nyctaper_t03.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

MGMT
2010-08-17
Radio City Music Hall
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Orchestra Section Row C

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > 16bit 44.1 wav > Soundforge (set fades, level adjustment, slight eq) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper 2010-08-18

Setlist:
[total time 1:40:54]
01 Pieces Of What
02 Brian Eno
03 Electric Feel
04 [banter]
05 Destrokk
06 Flash Delirium
07 Of Moons, Birds & Monsters
08 It’s Working
09 The Youth
10 Weekend Wars
11 Song For Dan Treacy
12 Time to Pretend
13 Siberian Breaks
14 Kids
15 Congratulations
16 [encore break]
17 Future Reflections
18 Someone’s Missing
19 The Handshake
20 I Found A Whistle

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT MGMT, visit their website, and purchase their CDs from the links at their website (HERE).