It’s been long road to success for Chicago based multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird. “I remember playing the Middle East seven or eight times before getting to play downstairs…and that was a big moment” he said during his set at the Citi Wang Performance Center this past Saturday. Bird, 42, expressed his fondness for Boston which he described as much “like Chicago” as he played new material from his tenth solo release Are You Serious to a sold out audience at one of city’s most historic and iconic venues. For those of us like myself who are late to the Andrew Bird scene, buzz behind his latest work, in particular the soulful R&B single “Capsized” and playful duet “Left Handed Kisses” with Fiona Apple have added a new fanbase for Bird, pushing him far beyond the walls of Middle East downstairs.
The show opened with Brazilian psych-rock band Boogarins who displayed a lesser known side of Brazilian culture in their drawn out expansive rock set. Dispelling what little I’ve come to know of Brazilian music from recent Noisey documentary on Brazilian funk music, the four piece rock band showed off a wide array of indie rock aesthetics that were equal parts Radiohead, Tame Impala and War on Drugs. The all Portuguese lyrics from their single “Avalanche” take on a socially conscious message about the negative effects the forthcoming Olympic games in Rio have had on the country, bringing a message along with their dynamic sound. Even though their jams became a bit disjointed at times behind some spacey flange guitar and airy vocals, their drummers sticky timing and jazz flare always seemed to pull things back together with precision. Their last jam closed with interesting interplay between the two guitarists. Vocalist Dinho Almeida laid down vocal talk box sounds over looped rhythms while Benke Ferraz’s fuzzy guitar runs culminated with some pedal work that triggered some pulsing helicopter sounds.
Bird’s four piece band opened up with an Alice Coltrane instrumental composition entitled “Journey to Satchidanada” that warmed up the band with fluttering violin runs, jazzy staccato drums, bass and banjo before a sharp stop that played right into “Capsized” without changing key. I would be lying if I didn’t say “Capsized” was single-handedly the reason I became interested in Andrew Bird’s music. I’ve seen Bird before, most memorably at past Newport Folk Festival’s where he has become somewhat of a reoccurring staple act. However many times I’ve checked out his sets or have seen him sit in with other artists I never got quite got hooked until I recently heard this funky groove of a song. Perhaps, the magic of Blake Mills production work behind Are You Serious has something to do the new glossy new sheen on Bird’s latest effort. Either way, I have now been awakened to the greatness of Andrew Bird and the rest of his set, mostly comprised of, but not entirely of material from Are You Serious, did not disappoint in spite of my lack of familiarity. “Tenuousness” showed off all the talents Bird brings to the table including his professional knack for whistling which pierced cleanly off the ceilings of the expansive theatre. His formula; whistling, plucked and bowed violin, which he often loops, and electric guitar chords circulates throughout most his songs and always finds a way to be creative behind his verbose lyricism. Nowhere could this be found more on evident than on his new meta duet about love songs “Left Hand Kisses” performed on the record with Fiona Apple. In her absence, he sang both parts perfectly without flaw. The title track from “Are You Serious” showed off an unique four squared lighting display that made the show at times feel more like a full on rock band rather than the high brow indie-folk act he’s been branded as.
In fact, much of his new record takes on a more polished up beat rock vibe than the folky baroque pop he’s been known for. For reference, songs like “Roma Fade” and “Valleys of the Young “ towards the end of his set led to a showdown between people compelled to stand up and dance (like people would for a rock show), against the majority of attendee’s devoted to the comforts of their seats (as if they were seeing Sufjan Stevens or Jose Gonzales, or a movie). However obnoxious it was to see only three people standing in a crowded theatre of people sitting, I kind of admired their courage and expressiveness in being compelled to stand up and live in the moment. Nonetheless, the somewhat distracting, somewhat humorous exchange went on for much of second half of the show and into the encore, when everyone stood up for applause for all of thirty seconds at the end of the show. This all came to fruition with a very heartwarming hug between two couples beefing over their rights to stand and see at a concert during the last song. It was all very worthy of a first world white people problems hashtag.
The show closed with an acoustic set with the band gathering around one vintage microphone. Bird and co. sang a barbershop quartet song called “Professor Socks” which he had explained was written for a kids show but was just “really fun” to play. Accompanied by two acoustics and brushed drums, Bird’s voice shined the brightest during these last three songs that closed out the night. Overall, Andrew Bird has continued to delve deeper into the pop world and has polished up his repertoire without sacrificing any of the attributes that he’s become known for over the years and this is a very good thing. With the Are You Serious tour rolling on through the summer, perhaps there will be another chance to catch Bird in a slightly less formal setting.
