Review: The New Pornographers at Salvage Station
The members of The New Pornographers were in good spirits at Salvage Station on April 19, as they kicked off their tour in support of the freshly-released LP, Continue as a Guest.
Performing the new tunes in front of a crowd for the first time, the veteran power pop collective quickly had attendees bopping along to infectious album opener “Really Really Light.” With hooks sunk in, the group treated the audience to a perfectly curated setlist loaded with old favorites. Sprinkled throughout the performance, the Continue as a Guest cuts held up nicely alongside assured crowd pleasers “Mass Romantic” and “Testament To Youth In Verse.” With the mesmerizing Neko Case on lead vocals, “Cat and Mouse With the Light” was particularly impressive, even though the humble chanteuse cracked wise about her vocal shortcomings afterwards.
There was no shortage of self-deprecation throughout the night as Case and singer/songwriter A.C. Newman joked several times about getting old. Prior to launching into set-highlight “The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism,” Newman quipped “Aging disgracefully, all of us.” To which a member of the audience assured the band that we’re right there with them.
He wasn’t lying.
The topic of age returned when Newman brought up the 20th anniversary of the band’s excellent sophomore record, Electric Version, at which point I too started to feel old. It’s a bit of a reality check when definitive albums from your college years start reaching multi-decade milestones.
Despite the passing of time, Newman’s songs remain just as catchy as ever, and Case’s stunning voice still possesses a hypnotic allure. The rest of the septet also did their part to inject the energetic pop songs with life, including new addition Adam Schatz, whose skronky sax added something new to the songs.
When seeing a band with such an extensive discography, it’s a bit of a mystery what will get played, but The New Pornographers truly delivered an ideal selection, capping it all off with my personal favorite, “The Bleeding Heart Show.” We all may be getting up there in years, but the tunes still have the same joyful pep that they did two decades ago.
(Photos by Jonny Leather)
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