Boston review

[brunkfidd]

I saw the band last night in Boston. The show was really great. Chris's voice was great considering he's been on vocal rest. Everything sounded really well. They did lots of songs off the new album some off the last two records and added some bluegrass and celtic tune(s) in there as well. It was a really fun night.

[ncfan13]

I was at the show in Boston last night as well. I have to concur, it was a fantastic show! One of the best NC shows I have seen. (it helped that I was in the second row - looking directly at Sara (which is always a good thing)). If Chris never said anything I would have never known he was on vocal rest.

They started with First and Last Waltz which led to Helena. They played Helena with out drums, it was still fantastic, but not as dramatic.

The set was similar to the one posted in the Burlington Review - it may have been exact.

My top 5 highlights were, in decending order

5) The bass player stomping/tapping during one of the instrumentals (blanking on which one - Tom Bombadil or Cuckoo's Nest)

4) When You Come Back Down. It's been a while since I heard this live. Just a fantastic song, sung well as usual.

3) WSTFD to close the show. The three of them surrounded one mic and sang/played. Perfect performance

2) Doubting Thomas. Fast becoming a top 5 song for me. Their harmonies last night were great.

1) Tomorrow is a long time. Sara did a superb job as always. This song is in my top three song with vocals (Lighthouse #2 and WYCBD #1)

I was afraid to take my camera in, but people were taking shots during the last song... if you were there and took pictures, please post.

[politzanian]

I was also at the show at the Orpheum Theater in Boston last night. It was my second time seeing them live, the first being the cd-release party for WTSFD. That show was so close-up and personal, that I really can't compare the two, but last night was also great.
Chris was taking it a little easy on his voice, and I think it made him sound even better, because you know, sometimes he pushes his voice beyond it's limits. Unlike the earlier show, they had room to move around, and Chris sure did take advantage of that. He's a wildman, and entertaining as hell.

Sara's may have sounded a bit weak at times, but mostly it was just fine. When she started to sing Sabre Girl, it was so beautiful that it gave me chills down my entire body. (someone asked in another thread if anybody else was in love with Sara. I can't say that ((my wife wouldn't appreciate it)), but I'm definitely in love with her voice).

At one point, the bass player came out to the front of the stage and did and Irish tap dance (complete with tap shoes), which was pretty funny. And before starting Scotch and Chocolate (or maybe it was Stumptown), Chris explained that his voice doctor has told him to limit his consumtion of caffeine and alcohol, so the next song, while being played with the normal gusto would have sad untertones. He then proceeded to play the song, but at times he'd look up with the saddest look at his face, in memory of his beloved coffee, scotch and chocolate.

They did a great medly of Up on Cripple Creek and The Fox which got the crowd a-clapping.

At the very end of the show, they gathered around a single microphone (as they used for the entire cd party show) and just blew everyone away with the beautiful harmonies of Why Should the Fire Die?.

My brother and his girlfriend, who hadn't really heard NC before, were both very impressed and enjoyed themselves greatly, while my wife, inexplicedly, continues to be unmoved :-(

My only complaint was that the lighting in the Orpheum was very poor (oh, and it was pretty stuffy in there, too). They were mostly lit from the back and from above, so we saw them in silouette, and their faces were very often in shadow. There only seemed to be one, pretty weak spotlight in the front, so it was often difficult to see all that wonderful pickin' going on. But it sounded awsome!

I would have loved to have seen them do I Should'a Known Better, or Hanging by a Thread, and many others missed The Lighthouse's Tale, but overall I was very pleased with the song selections, and just blown away by the musicianship. They're incredible.

Great show!
Bravo!!

. . ... Scott . . ¶|;-D

[ncfan13]

When Chris was talking about his doctor making him stop caffeine and alcohol, it was before Stumptown... it's one of their favorite coffee shops in Seattle I guess.

Scotch and Chocolate was the first encore song. Chris was saying that he was disappointed that he can not enjoy the gift of an old bottle of scotch and some really good chocolates that a concert goer gave them.

I agree about the lighting. At times it was very dramatic when the lights were coming from behind them (especially when the show started), but that center spot light was very slow getting turned on and directed at the proper picker.

[chickzilla]

well thank you all so much for your reviews, i know what to expect next week! i am just waiting on Eric to show back up from his trip to Boston and give us his $.02 on it! :D

[BeatlesFan]

I was there too with a group of friends and family and we all had a great time. I kept my expectations low because I was concerned about the singing with all the news about Chris being on vocal rest and Sara being sick, too. My fears were unfounded. They sounded great. Best of Luck and When in Rome were stellar. Sean did a really nice job with Somebody More Like You, too. The highlight was Why Should the Fire Die during the encore. When Mark tap danced he got a big reaction. The lighting was very dramatic, but at times it shone right in our faces and it was blinding. It was really hot in there, too. Where was the air conditioning? Chris even admitted that he had sweat running down his pants! It looked like some people had signed promo pictures. Was there a meet and great before the show?

[ncfan13]

I heard there was a meet and greet before the show, but I got to the Orpheum 15 minutes before the opening act went on, so I missed anything about it.

[bassguy675]

The coolest part of the night had to be after the show, about 20 minutes after they cleared the alley to let the other bus in. Sara and Sean blew everyone off because they had a whole lot of friends there. (understandablly so). Chris came out with his mando, and a pin that said he was on vocal rest, so he couldn't speak or sing. So, he played solo mandolin out by the bus for a good 35 minutes. That made everything just that much sweeter.

Oh yea, I also told him that I did an 8-horn arrangement of Locking Doors for my Arranging 2 class (I'm a Berklee College of Music student), and he screamed I f-ing love you!. I felt bad because that probably didn't help his voice.

[e-rock2]

The show was definitely great. They seemed to be in good spirits and it was very high energy. The crowd really seemed to love Mark's dancing as he received one of the biggest ovations of the night. The medley of Up On Cripple Creek and the Fox was awesome as mentioned above. I liked the way that they weaved in and out of the two songs. The instrumentals sounded fabulous especially and I'm not even sure if I'm correct, but Big Sam Thompson when they added the Irish piece to it. I know they usually do this during Tom Bombadil, but for some reason I think it was during this song. Either way it was awesome!!! It was quite sad to listen to Chris explain that the doctors took away his beloved coffee and alcohol before Stumptown and I loved it when he said that this is why you shouldn't see doctors. My cousin saw them for the 1st time and loved them and their energy and also commented on how much the fans seem to love their music which is very true. Now a few minor things to note. Perhaps these are just preferences of mine. I enjoyed the concert very much, but really love seeing them in general admission venues. The crowd sat for the whole performance except for the encore. I like being up close and standing as it seems to pull you into the music more. I didn't bring my camera as I asked before the show and they said that no cameras were allowed. The less formal venues usually allow cameras. The show seemed a little short time wise as they played for about an hour and 25 minutes compared to their usual 2 hour or so shows. Perhaps this is because of the illnesses and vocal restrictions placed upon them. I would definitely understand that. Overall though they sounded wonderful and was very high energy. i wish I could have stuck around afterwards to hear Chris play, but I knew my cousin wanted to leave as he had to work the next day. Insert sad smiley here.

[kmiller1610]

I was also at the Boston show last night. Since this was my first live NC show, it was all new to me.

My favorite was the new? break in the middle of In the house of Tom Bombadil which I can't describe. Wild Weasel Celtic comes to mind as a descriptor.

I honestly have never heard Chris play better, on any of his recordings: fast, clean, but with the more rounder tones he seems to have evolved over the past 3 years.

Other wows were for the perfect harmonies on the Cripple Creek cover, the many updates of older songs and how well integrated the song list was. Like others who have mentioned, the final trio in front of the single mike was very beautiful and touching.

Great show!

Acoustics were great.

[bassguy675]

the new thing they stuck in the middle there wasn't really all that new. it's derived from Raggle Taggle Gypsy, the tune they did on an album for the Chieftains.

[danb]

Great show. I took a few pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/danbruno/sets/1092079/), if anyone's interested.

Does anyone happen to have a setlist for the show?

[e-rock2]

I'll post a setlist later this week.

[ncfan13]

Thanks for the pictures. They are fantastic. I have been kicking myself ever since the concert. I had a great seat and I could have gotten great shots to share with everyone. When I was at the MAS show in boston I was told I could not take pictures at all and the security guy threated to take other peoples cameras away from them. If I had known that you could take non-flash photography, I would have been all over it. There is always next time!

[e-rock2]

I talked to someone at the venue earlier in the day and she said that you couldn't take pics at all. It didn't matter anyway as I was too far back to get anything worthwhile.

[danb]

e-rock2: That's interesting. I was taking flash photographs, and the usher didn't mind. (I made eye contact with her while holding a camera up several times.) I guess everyone didn't know about the policy!