Shows and Pictures #3: Amadou and Mariam and Okkervil River

Okay, here are the week's heavyweights. Thursday I snuck out of work for a couple hours on a long lunch to head to Brooklyn for Amadou and Mariam at Metrotech. So nice out there, was a really great time. Couldn't stick around for the whole set cause it was running late, but they were every bit as amazing as they were at Bonnaroo. As much as I love Mccarren Pool, do yourself a favor and head up to Summerstage this Sunday and go see these guys while they're in town. It's really something else.

Later that night I went down to Castle Clinton for Okkervil River. Was great. Great enough for me to go home and get all their back albums off emusic almost immediately. I loved hearing the BSB and BSB:A songs live again, but the old stuff I didn't know was what really stuck. It's much more narrative and less metaphorical. Anyone know the deal with "The President is Dead" song? Is it old? New? A cover? Really smart stuff.

Anyway, You can download the set at Ryspace. More pictures (that I may have to go back and recrop, looking at them now) from both shows after the jump...

Comments

[Pat]

Jeff, I have video of Okkervil River show over on my site.

[kathryn]

The President is Dead is a new song.

In the near future, Okkervil River will release some vinyl-only albums
of recent work, some of it from a January recording session in which
the band recorded 22 new tracks for fun. They've just finished the
first of these, a vinyl single that should be available later in the
year. Side A is a poppy narrative called "The President's Dead," and
Side B is a mid-tempo folky song in the vein of Neil Young and John
"The Wolf King of L.A." Phillips. It's called "The Room I'm Hiding
In."

[marty]

glad to hear you were inspired to check out the old stuff too. As great as BSB and the appendix are, i personally think "down the river of golden dreams" is their best (i love the songs "seas to far to reach" which they unfortunaly didnt play), and "don't fall in love..." is quite good too. pics and stuff up at my site, too.

[AlexisT]

OMG! I dig the bongo drummer's scissor tee!