Четверг 1 Май 2008, 20:25

Wed 30 Apr – Elbow
This was my first Elbow show and to tell the true, I'd only listened to them a few times before the show. I didn't know what to expect. My friends are fanatical Elbow devotees, so I discounted their praise of the band. I intended to let the performance determine the merit of the act and it was my good fortune Elbow actually deserved the accolades.
First, The Watson Twins opened the show with comforting Americana. It was a solid set, though I'll have to see them as headlines to really get their groove.
Guy Garvey, Elbow's unlikely frontman, didn't demand attention when he got to the mike, even though he was holding a trumpet. The trumpet is a braggarts, but it was modesty that I sensed most in Garvey.
They launched into Starling with an impressive light show to complement their wall of sound. Garvey's rich voice showered the audience and we all swooned. The sound was big, yet the modesty was never lost. It was a double sided attach and I dug every moment.
Things picked up with Great Expectationswhen one male fan started to quiver with joy. He seemed so vulnerable. He had found bliss and was sharing his level with several other audience members. He seemed to embody the universal language of these melodies and the rhythms. He was in a musical stupor and it was beautiful.
At Mirror Ball, the show's sentiment grew sad. I was still swayed by Garvey's crooning, but an undercurrent of loneliness was inescapable to me. With every new song, we learned a bit of what inspired it. Pain often accompanies beauty. Suddenly, death is at the door.
New Born confirmed that I needed a good cry. It, like the rest of the evening, was far from overdone. It seemed nuanced and content. The crowd was bit tired by the song, but they held on to themselves to ease Elbow's ravishing sound.
The band asked the audience to sing a song for an encore. Someone chose Purple Rain but no one knew the word, so we fell back to Lean on Me to draw the band back from its break.
They wrapped with the kindness of Grace. I was so pleasant that the audience seemed a bit stunned that the evening was at ending. The night was so lush. The audience adored it and the band seemed remarkably happy.
Garvey stepped into the Audience to shake hands and give hugs at the end. His most ardent fans were quivering again. The image is firmly in my mind. I had an excellent time and must see Elbow again.

Set List
Elbow - March 30, 2008
Fine Line Music Cafe

starling
bones
leaders
great expectations
mirror ball
station approach
Grounds
tower crane
the stops
new born
one day

Audience Interlude - Lean On Me

puncture repair
scattered
grace