This was one hectic night of concert going. I had tried to buy tickets numerous times by calling Divan Orange and asking how to buy and every time the girl on the phone would tell me the only way to get tickets is to buy at the door. So this is what I did, but by the time I arrived at 9:00 PM (for a 9:30 start time with 2 openers) the show was sold out. After befriending some Swedish fans who had a sign that said “We Came All The Way From Sweden For This Show, Need Tickets” I simply waited until the time was right. Lead singer Robin Pecknold got the Swedes in, but I was still ticketless and very much wanting to see this show. So between the first and second act, I took my girlfriend by the hand and we simply walked in. To our surprise nobody stopped us, and that was that. We were in.
Boy was I glad we got in. What a show! I had seen them play once before at La Sala Rossa and while it was a great set, they were opening for Blitzen Trapper, there wasn’t that many people there and they didn’t really make a connection with the audience like they did last night. It was one joke after another at last night’s concert. The band had the audience cracking up on many occasions and vice versa. And the music was just superb. They played most of the songs from their Sun Giant EP and self titled debut LP. The highlights for me were “Mykonos”, “Blue Ridge Mountains”, “He Doesn’t Know Why” and a stunning version of “Oliver James” in which the rest of the band left the stage as Robin belted out the song, really showcasing his vocal abilities. The crowd cheered for what felt like 2 full minutes after the song finished.
If you have a chance to see Fleet Foxes play in the near future you must do so! As good as they are on the album, their live show is just something else. I have a feeling this is the last time I will see them play a small venue like Divan Orange. They are already playing Bowery Ballroom in New York, which is a pretty big venue. Next time they come to Montreal they will probably play La Tulipe or something of that size. If you were at the show last night you should feel lucky to have been a part of it.
Here is a video and a half from the show last night. My phone died half way through “Your Protector”. Sorry. But I got the whole “White Winter Hymnal” for you.
White Winter Hymnal:
Your Protector (first 2 minutes):
The show was so good, you almost forgot about how disgustingly sweaty you were throughout…..almost.
