I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: December 17, 2017] Darlingside

We saw Darlingside at XPNFest in 2016.  The outdoor setting and our wilty family led to a less than stellar experience despite the amazing sound of the band.  How can four guys with one mic sound so good in an outdoor festival?

Well, when I heard they were coming back around, I was super excited to get tickets at Bethlehem Steel Stacks–the day they went on sale I bought a ticket right in front of the stage.  And then we couldn’t go.  A commitment came up, I got rid of the tickets and then we wound up not even going to the commitment. Ugh.

But it was all fine because they had announced a show at SOPAC and I still got second row seats.

The band sounded amazing in this small venue–which had wonderful acoustics.  And they were charming and funny as well.

They played far more songs than at XPN Fest, although I’m terrible at the names of their songs.  They included some new songs (and a new toy, a Septavox, which adds a small element of electronics to their otherwise acoustic set).

Like last time, the four guys crowded around an old-timey microphone and sang amazing harmonies, played beautiful melodies and all-around wowed us all.

I was really impressed with how close their instruments managed to get to each other without banging–there were times when David Senft’s bass head was inches from Harris Paseltiner’s acoustic guitar.  I was also really impressed that when Harris played cello and was a few feet from the mic you could still hear him–their equipment is amazing.

Don Mitchell played guitar and Septavox. He and Auyon Mukharji on banjo and fiddle switched places once in a while.

As with last time, the band was very funny.  Between songs each member had a chance to say a thing or two either about performing or something that had happened recently or about the fascinating things they discovered about South Orange , where they had never been before.

Auyon introduced the band with a way that each band member was somehow connected to the spirit of South Orange.  He mentioned the gas lamps on the main streets and talked about how Don was gaslighting their opening act Henry Jamison throughout the tour.  He mentioned that South Orange was once called Chestnut Hills and that his nickname for Harris is My Little Chestnut.  They joked about the private school known as Our Lady of Sorrows (no one in attendance had attended the school) and Auyon said that when David was upset he was known as Sad Dave.

Finally, Auyon said that his name Auyon was found in the letters of South Orange New Jersey.

There was also a very funny moment where Auyon described the band hanging out in an Air B’n’B and getting all caught up in a Hallmark movie called Snowed Inn.  They were so funny about it–and told us we’d all be sucked into it that Sarah and I watched all 2 preposterous hours.

When the show ended, they said that they’d be hanging out in the lobby to chat.  And so they did. We talked to Don, Auyon and Harris (we left before Dave came out)–and got autographs, too.

I can’t recall the whole setlist.  But I know they played these songs (and about 6 or 7 more).  Songs with an asterisk were also played at XPNFest.

They’re playing again at Union Transfer in March.  I wonder what they’re like in a rock club….?

Songs

White Horses*
Good for You*
Whipporwill
Blow the House Down*
The Ancestor*
Go Back*
My Gal My Guy*
Eschaton
The God of Loss*
Harrison Ford*