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The New Pornographers’ made Atlanta their second stop in their Continue as a Guest tour promoting their ninth album, released just a month ago.
The band is known for great hooks with a bit of punch as well as the harmonies of its three singers. They have been around long enough to weather a few winds of change since their founding in the late 1990s.
A.C. Newman remains as a lead songwriter and singer, but cofounder Dan Bejar has stepped away (again), though their newest album has one shared songwriting credit with him. Sometimes fans don’t like change, especially with bands that have grown up beside them, but that’s what artists do almost by definition. Their new album isn’t far from the familiar, but it is different in ways that may challenge those who like the way things were. In other words, Continue as a Guest doesn’t sound just like the old stuff, but if a listener absorbs it over time, it may just become a favorite.
That leaves the band with the task of introducing not only songs that are less familiar (common for any new album), but with lyrically denser lyrics, fewer hook heavy songs and (gasp!) a sonic palette that includes a saxophone.
“Marie and the Undersea” started the evening, the first of seven selections from their new release and quickly introducing fans not only to the addition of a saxophone but also it’s greater expression when escaping the confines of a studio. In short, it sounded awesome. This was a solid choice to set things off, and no one can be disappointed when Neko’s voice shines as it does here, awkward chorus notwithstanding.
“Really Really Light,” perhaps more familiar to the audience as one of their lead singles from the new album, received a much warmer welcome. Six songs in, “The Slow Descent of Alcoholism” seemed to find the band hitting their stride and the audience buying in to whatever came next. Interspersing one of their new songs for every two older ones was the pattern for the evening.
The band played a generous 19 song set and four song encore, featuring at least two songs from each of their albums but one. Whether fans liked the newer material as well as the familiar songs is less than the point for any artist promoting a new album. “Continue as a Guest” may someday become a fan favorite and should. It’s a slow builder of a song, beginning with electronics, then a sneaky bass line and vocals, finally joined with sax accents, the ladies voices and finally a big beat driving a great groove featuring the band’s famous harmonies. Likewise, “Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies,” another song driven by a great bass line, has an infectious melody that should find a regular home in their setlists despite its clever but obtuse meaning.
Other highlights included “Challenges” and the band’s harmonies on “Champions of Red Wine” – or anything really. The band seemed energized to be performing live, with frequent banter with the audience. And, of course, they sounded well rehearsed.
A couple other notes:
Early in the set, singer Neko Case humorously suggested that that they were the oldest rock band (“Look it up! Rolling Stones, Schmolling Stones”). Puhleez. But it’s great when a band begins a show full of humor.
Let it be known that if a fan wears a band baseball cap, A.C. (Carl) Newman may grant that person a request. “It’s a simple transaction,” adding “But we may not play it well.” Thus, “Moves” graced this setlist. That list is below, and it’s easy to see that the band closed with a really, really strong selection from “Continue as a Guest” though the final farewell.
The band will touring into the summer and again late in the fall. Check their tour dates.
More photos follow!
Setlist:
Encore:
