Andrew Bird (with Loney Dear)

The D Man attended the Andrew Bird concert last night. Swedish popster Loney Dear opened. A few random thoughts:

Loney Dear

• Sounded much bigger live. Yet Emil Svanganen's voice remained clear and unassuming, his falsetto genuine and warming. And his bandmates provided great backing vocals for the aural swells they build their songs with.
• Opened with this song. Very nice with a full band.
• "I Am John" is a stunning, multi-faceted song.
• Loney Dear has enough good songs, I didn't even notice that they didn't play "Saturday Waits, "The Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl," or "I Love You (In With the Arms)."
• New single "Airport Surroundings" was much better than anticipated.
• After the show, The D Man shook Emil's hand. Told him that "I Won't Cause Anything At All" is one of my favorite songs. He gave me some Loney Dear pins. (Sorry, no links to the song--you'll just have to pick up the album).

Andrew Bird

• Mr. Bird's immense talent just comes spewing out all over the stage. His baroque, lyrically whimsical chamber-pop has no other peers.
• His pipes were incredible. His range was effortless and surprising. The second half of the show he was singing things that few people could pull off. From the Mrs. the following day: "He has more talent than almost everyone on the radio combined." Indeed.
• Got swanky with "Imitosis."
• "Plasticities" was epic. He pulled this song in some thrilling directions.
• Kate wanted to hear "Spare-Ohs" from Armchair Apocrypha. Too bad. But you can enjoy this version which you've never heard.
• Bird's rendition of "Anonanimal" was a game changer. Awe-some. He went for huge, loud, and fast. And he got it. Just killed me. "I see a sea anemone / The enemy / See a sea anemone / And that'll be the end of me."
• And who doesn't like "A Nervous Tic Motion to the Head?"