It wasn’t a homecoming show for The New Pornographers, but it sure did feel like one when the band played its second show in Seattle in two nights at the Neptune Theater.
The Canadian eight-piece officially considers its home Vancouver, B.C. but with so many local ties between its members the show may as well of been a hometown gig. There’s the group’s ringleader A.C. Newman, a self-described “failed Sub Pop artist” who made a reference to Cellophane Square, the former Ave. record shop that’s been closed for almost two decades. The group’s bassist, John Collins, relocated from Canada and now lives in Seattle. Oh, and of course there’s former Tacoman Neko Case who spent her fair share of time living in the Evergreen State. Between those connections and the crowd’s adulation of the band, a feel good, warm and fuzzy hometown vibe was in full effect.
Now in their 20th year the New Pornographers somehow continue to get better with age. The two-hour, 25-song setlist featured plenty of fan favorites including a healthy dose of songs from their breakout albums “Mass Romantic” and “Twin Cinema.” But the star of the evening was the material from the group’s latest album, last year’s excellent “In the Morse Code of Brake Lights.” Songs like opener “Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile,” “Colossus of Rhodes” and “Higher Beams” fit perfectly alongside the power-pop stylings of the group’s older material.
The older songs still sound vibrant and fresh live and the new songs provided breadth for the setlist and sounded fantastic live. It was clear during Thursday’s show that the group is in peak form, which is a rarity for a band that’s been doing it as long as the New Pornographers have. “My Rights Vs Yours,” “Mass Romantic” and “The Laws Have Changed” were a few of the crowd-pleasers that made the setlist such a terrific career-spanning showcase.
And about that crowd. Strangely, it was uncharacteristically rude and somewhat confrontational display by some of those in attendance. The New Pornographers are one of an increasing many number of groups that institute a no photos or videos policy for their shows. And despite signs posted inside the venue stating the policy some concertgoers didn’t get the memo. During two separate instances Case asked a fan up front to stop taking photos and video. The fan almost didn’t comply, which led to Case getting a little angry and another fan yelling the good old “Shut up and play” heckle from the back of the room. It was a briefly contentious and slightly awkward moment but Newman took the heckle as fodder for stage banter and the band carried on.
While Newman is the band’s ringleader and a lot of the focus is often on him as well as Case given her successful solo career, the New Pornographers really are a group effort with each member making equally important contributions. Simi Sernaker and Kathryn Calder add soaring harmonies to Case and Newman’s vocals, Collins and guitarist Todd Fancey add layers to Newman’s deft guitar work and drummer Kurt Dahle is the group’s secret weapon steadily providing strong and snappy backbones for each song. Watching it all come together flawlessly like only a band with decades of experience together can is what make a New Pornographers concert such a delight.
Speaking of delight, opening act Diane Coffee provided quite a jolt of energy to start the show. The group, fronted by former Foxygen member Shaun Fleming, played a fiery set filled with glam-rock showmanship, funk grooves and hard rock oomph. The group was the perfect choice to have as an opener for a band that has perfect its power-pop game.
