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Photo courtesy My Old Kentucky Blog
What could have been a disastrously blasé performance on a Sunday night turned out to be a fun, foot-tapping shindig by the duo (and friends) Bishop Allen. Most recognized for their recent cameo in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, the Brooklyn band delivered a solid set of their trademark folk-pop, ranging from old crowd pleasers to unreleased tracks.
Bishop Allen’s music thrived in the low-key environment of Chapel Hill’s Local 506, framing a casual and intimate set. The diverse crowd, ranging from college students to mid-30 drunks, created an interactive environment that mirrored a buzzing cantina filled with entertaining characters and even more entertaining dance moves (hipster thurst, anyone?)
The members of Bishop Allen were golden caricatures in their own right, most notably Justin Rice (see recess’ interview with Rice for more) who mesmerized the crowd with his signature foot stomping and nervous—but endearing—gestures. They started off the night with some new tracks off their album (named “Grrrr”), set to release in February. These songs have a fuller background that combine charming vocal percussion with Western-meets-global influences.
It wasn’t until “Click” that the crowd started to really engage in the show. After some more new tracks, the highlight of the show was the three-song string of “Like Castanets,” “Monitor” and “Rain,” evidently the strongest portion of the show that kept the flow of the audience going. Another high point of the show was “Same Fire,” a melodic and energetic ballad that got the crowd mumbling singing along.
The show concluded, expectedly, with “Middle Management,” but the encore wrapped things up nicely, concluding with the chillingly beautiful “Butterfly Net,” sung by the token female member of the group.
Wonderful commentary, such as that of another new track, “Lion and a Teacup,” ("It's about animals and things you drink beverages out of") fed the entertaining conversation that persisted throughout the night. The chemistry between the band and audience members definitely added a fun dynamic to the set.
My only complaint? I wish I had brought my Click Click Click Click camera.
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