TNP Live

Lady Lamb/The New Pornographers

Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA,

November 8, 2019

I've been a TNP fan from the beginning, and this was my second time seeing them live. I would have to say that tonight's show topped the first one, just for songs I’d never heard live before.

Lady Lamb, the opener, was a band I hadn’t heard about in a while. I remember hearing some of their first album. It was folk/rock and I liked it, but not enough to pick it up. Not this time! They were a great opening act and reminded me of Waxahatchee or early Hop Along, two bands I like a lot, so this time I picked up the album. I'll listen to it soon.

TNP brought the energy, and a huge sound. Newest member Simi Stone is great on violin, and her take on Moves’ cello part, which I love and hadn’t heard live before, was wonderful. Blaine and Kathryn were terrific on keys. Todd and John were great on guitar and bass, as was Joe on drums. I am not sure how tall Carl is, but he is a big, tall man. He hunched over an acoustic guitar that looked too small for him, while playing it expertly. Neko, with her natural earthiness and amazing voice, held the crowd in her hand.

They played a good bit of their new album, In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights, and the sound of it, indeed all their songs, was sprawling, but seamless: many moving parts adding up to a natural whole. It all worked. It all was perfect. The didn’t neglect their older songs. There was a smattering of them, including a Dan Bejar tribute, Testament To Youth In Verse.

They saved the best for last though: Letter From An Occupant. Neko’s singing was to die for, and while I’d heard the song Mass Romantic live before, Neko was amazing on that one, as well. Carl is also very good live. Go see them! You won’t regret it. They really are that good, that fun, and that energetic.

Andrea Weiss