Andrew Bird @ The State Theatre, Ithaca, NY, 10/4/2008

Andrew Motherfucking Bird!


On the left there is Katie, our intrepid Sufjan correspondent and music rumor mill, and on the right is yours truly.

Oh but wait, you wanted pictures of Andrew Bird at the show!! Well unfortunately those are going to be a bit hard to come by, as virtually all cameras were confiscated upon entrance. We did see one or two telltale flashes go off during the performance, though, so we knew someone would get SOMEthing. And someone did! There are some pics here.

This was one of only a handful of solo shows he is performing in the NE this October. Andrew used a sample-and-loop machine to layer his own pluckings, strummings, whistles and claps to full orchestral warmth. The formal seating of the old theatre made the affair an intimate one, if not without it's occasional odd moments.

For example, while waiting for the lights to come down we kept hearing what sounded like a duck in the theatre. Also, there was the "run-by shirting:" at one point between songs, some guy ran across the front of the stage and threw a shirt at Andrew and then just kept on running without looking back. Unfolded, the shirt read "Obama '08" to which Andrew dryly commented with "I approve this message." (Which is cute and all, but can we keep the politics out for once?)

SETLIST!
Il Conformista Prelude
Sovay
Why?
A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left
Plasticities
Natural Disaster
Headsoak
Imitosis
Fitz and the Dizzyspells ("Which sounds like the name of a Polka band")
The Water Jet Cilice
Lull
Trimmed
Tables and Chairs
---encore---
Weather Systems

The songs you might not recognize--"Natural Disaster" and "Fitz and the Dizzyspells" are on the upcoming NEW ALBUM, "Noble Beast," which will (supposedly) be a two-disc set (one of new materials and one disc of instrumentals. Live In Montreal will be a separate album)! Needless to say, if the songs we've heard so far (these, plus "Oh No," streaming over at Pitchfork, and "Anonanimal," which has been played at recent shows) are any indication, we have every reason to anticipate the January 22 release date with impatience.

OH WAIT BUT I DO HAVE A PICTURE OF ANDREW!


EDIT: hahaha, check out the dude in the background, whom we have erroneously dubbed "Larry." since been informed that his name is Bob! He is our new mascot. I shall now rate events and albums on a 5-point Larry Bob Scale. For example, I would have to conclude the Bird show in Ithaca was a FIVE-LARRY BOB SHOW!


Andrew Bird - Anonanimal(live).mp3
Andrew Bird - Why? (live).mp3
Andrew Bird - Skin Is, My (live).mp3

Note, these are live cuts from Millenium Park on September 9, with Andrew's full band. This was a solo show and had quite a different sound. Hooray for sneaky videotapers + YouTube! Here he is performing "Lull" at the Ithaca show: