Grizzly Bear
2/9/07
Subterranean in Chicago
Grizzly Bear is one of the bands I have looked forward to seeing for months now after hearing their Yellow House release and making it the soundtrack to my autumn. It’s subtle ways of lingering and creating a warm toned atmosphere made me long for it when the weather grew colder and the days grew darker. The music has a calming and magical enveloping quality that makes you feel the way you might if you could look out of your window at beautiful falling snowflakes all day and know you didn’t have to go outside in it.
This was my first time seeing Grizzly Bear and hopefully won’t be the last. Live, the band brought out the quality of the arrangements and some of their hidden melodies which had been lurking around unnoticed on album. The autoharp, clarinet, and flute amongst other instruments really set the songs apart from your standard indie band or even your typical Brooklyn four piece (if that really exists at all.) Although, I can’t help longing for the strings of a cello and violin to supplement the songs as well. The only song to include strings on the album is “Marla” and they are provided so lovingly by Owen Pallett of Toronto’s Final Fantasy but strings could easily be woven into the fabric of their other songs. The songs didn’t necessarily feel like something was missing but it would have also been nice to hear the banjo and the glockenspiel that accompanies them on album. Perhaps the best points in the set was when their various voices outstretched to the audience as gentle hands do, for example on “Colorado.” In addition, seeing them live helps connect with the songs more fully when returning to the Yellow House album. They are the kind of band that set a tone for the evening and, though their set did not completely approach the kind of raw emotional intensity typically favored in a live set, the songs worked because of their rich lullabies, the vocals, and instrumentation acting as a tender caress.
View the complete photo set on flickr
Click more for tour dates and a setlist:
Setlist:
Feb 18 2007 7:30P
Mission Theater (*EARLY ALL AGES SHOW*) Portland, Oregon
Feb 18 2007 9:00P
The Mission Theater (*Late 21+ Show*) Portland, Oregon
Feb 20 2007 8:00P
Great American Music Hall San Francisco, California
Feb 21 2007 8:00P
The Troubadour Los Angeles, California
Feb 23 2007 8:00P
Plush Tucson, Arizona
Feb 24 2007 8:00P
Ballroom Marfa Marfa, Texas
Feb 26 2007 8:00P
The Opolis Norman, Oklahoma
Feb 27 2007 8:00P
Club Dada Dallas, Texas
Feb 28 2007 8:00P
Emo’s Jr Austin, Texas
Mar 1 2007 8:00P
Chelsea’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Mar 2 2007 8:00P
Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 3 2007 8:00P
Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mar 4 2007 8:00P
Black Cat (with Beach House) Washtington DC
Mar 6 2007 8:00P
SOLD OUT!!: Bowery Ballroom (with special Guests BEACH HOUSE) New York, New Mexico
Mar 7 2007 8:00P
(SOLD OUT) Bowery Ballroom (with Beach House!) New York, New Mexico
May 18 2007 8:00P
ATP Vs. The Fans (Butlins Holiday Resort Minehead) Somerset
March 12th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
[...] looking forward to seeing and hearing Cat Power and Iron and Wine. Having seen and blogged about Grizzly Bear recently, I can guess they will fill the air with some nice wafting melodies as well. I can’t [...]