When The Walkmen have an on night they make magic, and last night at Terminal 5 was most certainly an on night. Maybe it was the fact that they were returning home after a month in Europe, maybe it was the strength of their new record Lisbon, or maybe it was the grandiose size of Terminal 5. Regardless, it was one of the best shows we've seen from The Walkmen, and if anything, we wish it could have been longer.
To start with, the band was in top form: Hamilton Leithauser's voice was amazing, and he killed every song that he sang on. The energy and performance were off the charts. Unquestionably, vocals are key to the band's character, and last night was one of the best performances we've ever heard from the band's frontman.
Still, with The Walkmen vocals are just one (albeit strong) part of the puzzle. The rest of the band was just as raring to go, and every tune was overflowing with exuberance and enthusiasm. The amazing thing about this band is that they manage to take that exuberance and wrap it up in a musical subtlety that allows each song to carefully define its character's charms. Without question, they are one of the most instrumentally dynamic units on the road today.
The performance was additionally supported by an incredibly solid light show, and a brass section that had been (apparently) absent while the band was in Europe. Combined with the band's simply classic suits, the result was a stage show that felt dropped in from another era, with the charm of a rat pack era showcase.
At the end of the day, The Walkmen's show last night left nothing to be desired: in top form, the 5-piece deliver one of the best live shows around. Hearing the songs from their latest record in a live environment was an unparalleled treat, cemented by the fact that the band was clearly thrilled to be returning to a hometown crowd. On top of that, they closed the show with two of their most classic "hits", "The Rat", and "We've Been Had". It was a great way to start the the December concert season, and if we could do it again tonight, we would.
Setlist
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While I Shovel The Snow
In The New Year
Angela Surf City
Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone
Blue Is Your Blood
The Stranded
On The Water
Victory
Canadian Girl
All Hands And The Cook
Woe Is Me
Lisbon
Thinking Of A Dream I Had
Juveniles
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The Rat
We've Been Had
More pictures at the HAD Archive
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