Since they began doing live shows here in this fair city over a decade ago - I have yet to miss one.
The live show has always been a thing of wonder, with amazing lights to accompany such brilliantly executed songs.
Sharin Foo appears to have a new found energy for the band dynamic, showing off her skill as the perfect compliment to Mr. Wagner and his songs. Alternating most effectively between bass, electric and acoustic guitar, it is still this rich voice that stands out as her primary instrument.
Joined by a familiar face on drums, the three piece delivered a crisply paced set that blended brand new songs with classics from their earlier album.
Listen to "Young and Cold" from their latest:
A light show can be a powerful thing. Properly sequenced with the music being played, it creates a sensory experience that is both visual and can be physically felt as well.
The deeper blue hues serve to "cool" things down during quieter passages.
The Raveonettes work very well as a three-piece. Seeing them in their earlier days with four (then five) members, they always seamlessly employed some backing tracks. There is an art to blending these sound elements in a live show, and this band does it better than anyone out there.
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Listen to a clip of another new track from Observator
"Sinking With The Sun"
The big show ender (before encore) is "Aly, Walk With Me"
It's the perfect balance of slithery, seductive groove,
and full on Psych Rock freak out
The sheer force of this moment in time is as powerful and transformative as it gets.
The main set. Some encores were played too (like the aforementioned "Sinking With The Sun")
A real pleasure on this night was getting to hang out with Loan TheNYCStreetDancer! The inspiration for the story Sune tells in his song "She Owns The Streets" - there would be more adventures to write about before the night was over.
Having access to this is always helpful when you want to chat with the band and crew, post-show.
Which led to the great chat I had with highly regarded recording engineer Alonzo Vargas. Working with noted producer Richard Gotteher, Alonzo has engineered and/or mixed all The Dum Dum Girls records; The Raveonettes Observator, Into the Night and Raven in the Grave; and Eternal Summers Correct Behavior - all amazing sounding records.
Some of the new merch available. I chuckled at seeing the baby onesie.
Opening the show was the French Dreampop group Melody's Echo Chamber
Their sound evoked those 60's French adventure movies like "The Sweet Ride" (look it up - it's stylish and hilarious).
With a touch of Cocteau Twins for good measure as well.
Their set got progressively better as it went along, up to and including this psych jam end out.
Definitely worth investigating further.
Every great Raveonettes show deserves an afterparty - and this night would certainly be no exception.
Heading out of the venue and into street, I spotted the crews packing up gear.
I am almost as much fascinated with the inner workings of what makes a band "go" as the actual artists and their music itself. The gentleman in the foreground is Danish record producer Jon Schumann (who also does work under the singular name Joshua). For this tour The Raveonettes have hired him to be the "front-of-the-house-soundman." So, he is in charge of the sound the band is producing from the stage. An important postition, without a doubt. I had an interesting chat with Jon at the afterparty. My thoughts and his vary somewhat on the overall volume of one aspect of the thunderous bass notes that accompanied a number of the Raveonettes songs at this show. He informed me that none other than Depeche Mode's Martin Gore (who was at the show) told him the sound was perfect - so far be it from me to question individuals who's expertise far outweighs mine.
Out front B Bar I ran into my new friend Loan TheNYCDancer again. I was treated to a live performance of what she does (and does so well) - dancing in the streets!
I was most amused at how she alternately entertains and possibly befuddles the NYC Cabs
"I can't wait to - get to know her - I want to be one who helps keep it alive"
Afterparty fun. It's like SubZeroFun - only better.
