Professional was the name of the game Saturday night at the Overture Center’s Capitol Theater, although maybe game isn’t the correct word: a show that begins on time only means business. Unfortunately, it also means that even when you assume you show up reasonably early, you end up missing the first few numbers of Father John Misty’s impressive opening set.
From the closing notes of “Only Son of the Ladiesman” onwards, Josh Tillman floored the crowd. Fronting a stage-filling band, the Father breezed through his debut, keeping the banter to a minimum and the dancing to a max. He looked extremely comfortable in the spacious venue, sipping Maker’s Mark straight from the bottle and (just as smoothly) belting out his hilarious tales. His vocals sounded as astounding as ever, rounded out by the backing band’s equally impressive harmonies.
The pumping “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” closed the set and was an entirely different beast live, thanks to the addition of a pummeling bridge near the end. The guitars chugged and the basses churned out a thundering riff, while the lights flashed and the Father danced. He then frighteningly pretended to hang himself with his mic-stand and cord while the music intensified. Screaming his way back to the chorus, the band powered through and left the stage to a deserving, booming applause.
The Walkmen were quick to play next, planting themselves into their positions and never leaving their own little bubbles. The band looked slick, sharp, and like New Yorkers decked in their best black. They opened their set with “We’ve Been Had,” their first defining anthem, and closed with “Heaven,” their latest. The band didn’t use the majority of the set to perform their newest release, Heaven. Instead, The Walkmen played a little less than a handful of tracks from every release of their seasoned career, pleasing both newcomers and those who grew up alongside them.
As with Father John, there was very little banter from Hamilton Leithauser. And to anyone who picked up on even a third of what he said, well, good on him or her. His vocals, however, more than held up to anything he’s done in the studio. Leithauser’s howl was scratchy and ripe, and the guy can croon. The rest of the focus seemed to lie on Matt Barrick’s astounding, ever-steady sticks. Whether it was rockers like “The Rat” or “Angela Surf City,” crowd-quieters like “138th Street,” or even positive tracks like “We Can’t Be Beat,” The Walkmen simply went along their business and came out with a truly towering set.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH5gmbugmxM