[jwelsh8]

05.21.07
Radio City Music Hall, New York, New York

One Set:
9 Crimes [Damien solo, on piano]
Older Chests [Damien and Vyv]
Volcano [Damien started on Rhodes; just Vyv to start, and the band joined in]
Me, My Yoke, & I [Volcano reprise intro; Damien on electric]
Delicate
Coconut Skins [guy on keys] >
percussion [Shane, Vyv, and Joel on drums] ->
Woman Like a Man
Rootless Tree [Damien on piano]
Never Leave You [Vyv song?; guy on keys; no Damien]
The Professor
Eskimo
Accidental Babies [Damien on piano]
I Remember [with Bang Bang (Sinatra) jam; Vyv on piano]
Cannonball [no amplification]

Encore:
Unplayed Piano [Damien on piano; with Aung San Suu Kyi video]
Blower's Daughter
Cheers Darlin' [Damien telling the story and singing over recorded music; he walked partially up the balcony]

It was our tenth show, actually. A sold out show at Radio City.

Entertaining, to say the least. I still am shocked that Radio City sold out but it certainly was packed with people taking their seats throughout the night between songs, holding their drinks with those glowing swizzle sticks. I thought the sound was almost perfect from our seats on the floor, almost to the point of being a bit loud at certain instances. Damien was very talkative, telling stories for The Professor, Accidental Babies, and I Remember. The precussion jam out of Coconut Skins was interesting and I enjoyed the energy; I heard Woman Like a Man growing from Damien's guitar, and he could have segued perfectly into the song, but he slowed it down a bit cautiously to make sure that everyone was on board.

I first noticed some nice contributions by Joel in Rootless Tree; I had to struggle a few times to hear his playing, but when I did, I thought it blended quite nicely. Especially when he was on electric. Eskimo could have been jammed out a bit longer, while I thought that Accidental Babies was the best that I had heard, jamming and building and dropping down to a piano ending. And as usual, the I Remember went to some interesting places; with a nod to New York, it included a jam on Sinatra's Bang Bang that featured Vyv on piano. When the crowd needed to be, they were silent for the unamped Cannonball closer.

The most touching song of the night had to be the Unplayed Piano encore, which raised goosebumps on my arms to be honest. Quite beautiful, accompanied by the video behind the band. We had read that he was closing with Cheers Darlin', so I wasn't surprised when they came out with a table and chairs (they might have been able to end with Blower's Daughter, to be honest). The Cheers featured the story, and then Damien "singing" over recorded music. At one point, he stumbled half-way up the side balcony, followed by the spotlight, still holding his wine glass. As he walked to the back of the stage, to the light of dawn, he paused next to a lampost and made to fumble with his fly . . .

The first yells of "Where's Lisa?" happened after Delicate. A few songs later, a few more shouts echoed down from the balcony and Damien had to take his ear monitor out to hear what everyone was yelling. He explained that she was in Ireland, working on an album, "where she should be." He talked about the fact that she had been singing with him for so long, and that there was never time to do her own thing between tours. So she is doing it now. I will say, though, that her absence was palpable. Not that it necessarily detracted from the music, but you could notice. Damien had to sing both parts in some songs, he skipped a line in The Professor, and there was just something missing with I Remember. He was trying to compensate, and is doing an ok job, but he hasn't fully recovered just yet.

Finally, I wanted to mention that his stage show is getting larger each time we see him, and I quite enjoyed the lights. They were synched well with the music, and the effect of the "snow" from the disco balls during Eskimo was perfect for Radio City, flakes dancing around the shell-like deco ceiling.

Certainly worth it. But it also left me wanting for more; thankfully, he will be back in September . . .