Belle & Sebastian @ Radio City Music Hall - 6.10.2015

If you used to follow this blog - eons and eons ago - you’ve probably long ago gave up hope that it would ever be updated. It has been 5 years after all since my last post.

I have actually left the house in the intervening years, but I’d never get around to writing. But I was inspired by my last show to write again, at least for this one. 

I hadn’t seen Belle & Sebastian since their show over at the Nokia Theater in Times Square back in 2006. They put on a good show then, but the audience was dreadful, no enthusiasm, no joy, just a bunch of shoe gazers and meanies - someone actually boasted on their way out about having bullied someone into not singing along. I remember thinking that these people really didn’t seem to have realized what Belle & Sebastian are all about and that the band deserved a better crowd.

Well, that better crowd came along last Wednesday. Belle & Sebastian played a sold-out Radio City Music Hall, and were welcomed with open arms and much loud whooping...a lot of it from me :D

The opener was a band called Real Estate, whose band members hail (w/one exception) from New Jersey. They were sweet - calling out their parents from the stage - and played some very catchy songs, at least one of which had a definite Belle & Sebastian vibe to it. Not too surprising as they mentioned seeing B&S as teenagers and how wowed they were to now be opening for them. Lots of people were still slowly drifting in during their set, but by the time Real Estate finished playing they’d managed to get half the orchestra to give them a standing ovation. Not bad for some boys from Jersey.

Real Estate in action.

After a bit of a wait between the two bands, we were treated to a giant projection of one of the cover girls from the new album “Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance” introducing the band.

Ladies and Gentlemen...Belle & Sebastian!

There would be other giant video projections during the show which I think greatly added to the show. I’m not usually one for fancy graphics, since only a few bands know how to use it properly - U2 and Radiohead come to mind - but these really worked well. They weren’t distracting but complimented the songs very well. 

No, not an iPod commercial ;)

The first song - Nobody’s Empire - was a bit of a slow starter, with some of the crowd, at least in the orchestra in front of me, remaining seated. But as soon as ‘I’m a Cuckoo’ began all hell broke loose…well, it was still a Belle & Sebastian show, but all hell within the context, i.e. everyone got up and started to move their little booties. Even some of the older booties got into it - shout out to the older lady in front of me grooving along :) 

Stuart and Stevie front stage.

Very creepy monk and creature :)

I think I had that telly! And those antelope!

‘Perfect Couples’ had the perfect blend of graphics and song, featuring an elaborate choreography of various young folk entering and leaving a tastefully decorated living room, projected behind the band.

Let's Dance!

Stuart spoke a bit about how he usually didn’t write songs for specific people but that he had done so for the following one, Piazza, New York Catcher, and how it had been written for his now wife, while they were falling in love all over the world.

If You’re Feeling Sinister and Dear Catastrophe Waitress pretty much brought the house down.

Back Up Dancers return! Much to everyone's delight - they were great :)

I think Belle & Sebastian have been channeling some Di Chirico mayhaps...

"Dance my pretties, dance!"

And then the band brought on some lucky audience members - pre-chosen as they had badges around their necks - to the stage where they danced alongside the band for two songs, one of which was ‘I Didn’t See it Coming’. 

Do not adjust your sets. This is only an optical illusion. ;)

Lucky...

I want to dance up there...bwahhhhhhh!

They took a ‘break’ and then came back for a two-song encore, ‘Lazy Line Painter Jane’ featuring a duet with Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls and culminating with an amazing performance of ‘Judy and the Dream of Horses’.

It wouldn't be a Scottish rock show without some fine bag-piping in action.

The end.

I’d come to the show with friends but ended up walking back to my train station on my own - about 20 blocks or so, around midnight - and felt light as air humming all the songs I’d just heard  that night.

I came to a realization that evening. I’ve long been a fan of Belle and Sebastian but there’s no band out there right now that makes me as happy as they do on a regular basis. This is not a diss on other bands, many of whom I’ve followed and been a huge fan of at various points of my life, but right now my go-to band of choice is a little band from Glasgow that’s out to conquer the world with their infectious dance tunes :)
Setlist 

Nobody's Empire 
I'm a Cuckoo 
The Party Line 
The State I Am In 
Dirty Dream Number Two 
Perfect Couples 
Piazza, New York Catcher 
Allie 
The Cat With the Cream 
If You're Feeling Sinister 
The Wrong Girl 
Dear Catastrophe Waitress 
If You Find Yourself Caught in Love 
The Boy with the Arab Strap 
I Didn't See It Coming 
Sleep the Clock Around 

Encore:
Lazy Line Painter Jane  (with Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls)
Judy and the Dream of Horses