Thanks to a BV tip I ignored my urge to sleep in and woke when the alarm buzzed at 8:30 AM. It was Independence Day, the New Pornographers were playing and I didn’t have to work so I could actually get tickets this time.
Around 2:30 PM I returned to a cloudy and cool Battery Park. Midlake was on stage when I arrived. I inched my way to the front and enjoyed 5 or 6 good melodic tunes by these Texans. They seemed thrilled to be playing for such a large crowd. I was happy that they were there. Their mellow tunes warmed the fans for the headliners.
When the New Pornographers finally reached the stage it was with a large roar from the crowd. The band ripped through some newer songs before jumping into “Use It” from 2005’s Twin Cinema.
Due to some technical difficulties the band took some extended breaks, but took time to wish us a Happy 4th of July and joke about the Statue of Liberty. They mixed up the songs, pulling mostly from the great upcoming Challengers album and Twin Cinema.
The rains started down after a great rendition of Challengers' title track of which singer Neko Case seemed nervous; although she had nothing to worry about-it was absolutely beautiful. When the rain began it seemed to add to the show rather than take away.
They closed the day with two older tracks, “Testament to Youth in Verse” from Electric Version and “The Slow Decent into Alcoholism” from their debut.
All in all it was a perfect way to spend the holiday. The only thing missing was a few fireworks. I only wished every day could consist of great tunes, a nice breeze off the river and a day off work.
Oh and Happy Birthday little bro.
