M. Ward, Feb. 20, Trocadero

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M. Ward, Feb. 20, Trocadero

POSTED: Friday, February 27, 2009, 6:14 PM

Filed Under: Music Show

Taking the stage with confident nonchalance, Jersey natives (now Brooklynites) The Vivian Girls rocked out lo-fi jams like “Wild Eyes” and “Tell the World,” grinning all the while. Recalling trips to the Troc as fans of acts like Taking Back Sunday and bands like Brand New, the act's performance was sadly marred by drowned-out vocals due to some overamplified guitar. They worked through it, though, later swapping instruments and roles for the latter part of their set.

She & Him’s him, virtuoso M. Ward, sold out the show in support of his latest, Hold Time. Beginning with Transistor Radio’s “Fuel For Fire” and his new title track, Ward’s voice washed over his attentive audience, tossing listeners into bluesy, folksy auditory rapture. Backlit by the glare of green and blue stage lights and projected constellations, “Lullaby & Exile,” which Ward performed alongside musician/engineer Mike Coykendall, was lyrically lush and honest, not unlike She & Him’s “Change Is Hard.”

Wedged in the middle of the set, Post War’s “Poison Cup” poured out in bittersweet cadence with Ward’s stutter-like starts (“one, one, one, one or two won't do"). That laidback romanticism flowed into “Stars of Leo,” followed by the lovelorn “Oh Lonesome Me.” Between “One Hundred Million Years” and the down-south rockin' “Never Had Nobody Like You,” Transfiguration of St. Vincent’s “Vincent O’Brien” spurred a sing-a-long reaction in the crowd. Ending with a throwback to Buddy Holly, Ward’s rendition of “Rave On” was the perfect nightcap to a lovely 20-song-plus evening.

Set list after the jump.

Fuel for Fire
Hold Time
Lullaby & Exile
Epistemology
Chinese Translation
To Save Me
Some Lucky Night
Fisher of Men
Change Is Hard
Poison Cup
Stars of Leo
Oh Lonesome Me
One Hundred Million Years
I’ll Be Yr Bird
Afterward/Rag
Fahey
Vincent O’Brien
To Go Home
Never Had Nobody
Beethoven
Big Boat
Rave On

josh

Posted 2009-03-08 13:10:32

he actually ended this night with magic trick, not that it's a big deal. but that was the final song of the evening.

Posted 2009-03-08 14:21:10

You're totally right. I even wrote it in my notebook, but obv. blanked when it came to writing up this review.



Thanks for heads up!

Posted 2009-03-08 14:22:10

*the heads up



Typos must be my thing this month.

Posted by Dianca Potts @ 6:14 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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