AC Newman, The Broken West – Black Cat 3/18
The funny thing about AC Newman’s solo albums, is that inevitably, the conversation turns to “how is this any different than the new pornographers?” and i guess the answer is, “it isn’t”. And when you see him live, it’s not much different, and the result is the same: great music with a big, enthusiastic band.
I’ve always had an interesting back and forth with both “bands”. When The New Pornos came out with 2003’s Electric Version and AC with his first solo effort, The Slow Wonder, the following year, I listened to them WAY too much. And because of how unique AC’s voice is, I was burnt out on both bands for a couple years. Flash forward a couple years and here we are again with The New Pornographers releasing 2007’s Challengers, followed swiftly by AC’s Get Guilty. The difference this time is, thankfully, I’ve gotten over the earlier over-saturation and just in time for his stop in DC.
When i first got to the black cat, The Broken West were about a quarter of the way through their set. They were pretty solid, nothing spectacular, but about what i would expect: good songs, played with precision, and leaving you with a feeling of being a band on the precipice of great things. It will be interesting to see what direction they head in the coming years. The band was all business, with minimal stage banter, and getting right to the tunes, mostly which were played one after the other without a break. Definitely a band to keep and eye on.
By the time AC came out, the venue was pretty full, but not overly crowded in the front, and they gave him and his entire band (keyboardist, violinist, lead guitarist, drummer, and Mr. Newman)a warm welcome. To which, AC playfully responded with the obligatory “You know DC is our favorite city to play in, right?” to lots of chuckles. He plowed right into the playlist and to my surprise (maybe because the last time i saw them was in the desert of California in 105 degree weather) sounded great and looked to be genuinely having a great time.
I won’t get into the details of each song, but they all brought a smile to my face and got the crowd moving, especially behind me, where it turned into a small little dance free-for-all like you might have seen in woodstock. Newman often humored the crowd between songs, at one point responding to a crowd member yelling “it’s her birthday!”, saying “we won’t play the song she wants until i see you taking shots out of neon shot glasses”. You had to be there.
And thinking back to the show, I guess that’s the thing that stands out the most. When I hear AC Newman or New Porno’s albums, i think to myself “good album but not sure i would seek them out live”, but on the contrary, it’s one of those shows that you can’t quite put a finger on, but you kind of had to be there. There was something in the air where everyone was in a great mood, and AC new just how to foster and escalate that mood. Truly an underrated show, at least on my part, one that i will remember the next time i think “man…ANOTHER AC Newman album?”
AC Newman – Submarines of Stockholm (MP3)
AC and Co. recently stopped by The Current for a live session if yah wanna get a taste:
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Tags: Uncategorized , ac newman , the broken west
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