Thursday we found ourselves at Town Hall for The Magnetic Fields' second of three nights at the theatre district venue.
The night began with a low-key but entertaining solo set from Australia's Darren Hanlon. Capable of being grouped into the "anti-folk" or "urban-folk" scene, Hanlon's been performing solo since 1999, and he's also been a member of The Simpletons and The Lucksmiths. Armed with just an acoustic guitar and a banjo, he sang songs about being a pinball champion, couch surfing, Laurel and Hardy and more as people continued to stream into their seats. Hanlon will play his own show at Bruar Falls on Sunday.
The Magnetic Fields followed, taking the stage, perching in their seats, and kicking off their set with "Kiss Me Like You Mean It" from 69 Love Songs. The night continued with the group dabbling into all segments of their career, from their 1991 debut Distant Plastic Trees to the recently released Original Cast Recording for the off-Broadway musical Coraline, for which Stephin Merritt contributed lyrics and music. The band also delved into a few 6ths songs, as well The Gothic Archies' "Shipwrecked" and "Little Hebrew Girl" from Merritt's solo album Showtunes. Other highlights of the night included 69 Love Songs' "Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side," Distant Plastic Trees' "100,000 Fireflies" (which served as the night's final number) and "I Don't Know What To Say," from the band's newest album, Realism.
The banter wit on stage was dry and drab, but wholly appropriate for Merritt and Co. He often introduced songs by saying "If you thought that one was funny...well, just wait for this next one," or "If you thought that was depressing, take a listen to this one." None of it was sidesplittingly funny, and none of the performances blew the audience away, but that's just how The Magnetic Fields operate. They offered up a worthwhile night of dark, humorous and subtle tunes, and it was a pleasure to witness it.
The Magnetic Fields play their third night at Town Hall tonight.
Watch a couple videos from Thursday night and Wednesday night below.
The Magnetic Fields - "To The Moon" (live at Town Hall, March 11, 2010):
The Magnetic Fields - "100,000 Fireflies" (live at Town Hall, March 10, 2010):
The Magnetic Fields - "I Don't Know What To Say" (live at Town Hall, March 10, 2010):
