I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 27, 2019] Darlingside

This is now the fourth time we’ve seen Darlingside and our second time seeing them at SOPAC.  SOPAC is a great intimate seated venue with excellent sound (and a very strong air conditioner apparently, holy cow was it cold in there).

The last time we saw them there, there was an opening band.  But this time there was no opener.  Rather, Darlingside would play two forty-five minute sets with an intermission between.

We also brought S.’s mom as a treat, believing that she would love their harmonies.  And she sure did.  I think we know what to get her for Christmas.

Our seats were great–second row, although I joked with S. that we were too far to the left (instead of dead center).

So this was their second time in the same venue.  Some things were the same.  I don’t remember exactly, but I feel like at the last show they were lit by these same very cool old-fashioned bulbs (which you can see in a picture below) as well as the stage lights.  I enjoyed that they were somewhat connected to the music–growing brighter as things got more intense.

Also, the the instruments were the same (thankfully). Don’s guitars and banjo were waiting.

There were Auyon Mukharji ‘s mandolin and violin.

And there was the kick drum.  I had never actually gotten to see the kick drum before because there were usually monitors in the way, so that was a fun treat.

But other things were very different.

It was noticeable right away.  Rather than the band all singing around one microphone (an amazing microphone that could pick up their voices even when they were far off), there was a stand with four microphones–one for each of them.

It was something of a disappointment at first.  I have always enjoyed the charm of them singing into one microphone.  And yet, charm isn’t important, if it’s easier for them to stand near each other but not all sing into the same space.

I can’t say as I noticed any difference in sound (they sound amazing and the venue is beautiful), but I did notice it seemed to make the guys not move around as much.  In the past, they used to switch places every few songs for whatever reason, but that only happened once, I believe.

However, it was nice to not worry that David Senft was going to bang his bass into Don Mitchell’s guitar or whatever.

The other thing I noticed is that Don had a full beard!  Every other time we’ve seen them and in every promo picture, Don is the only clean-shaven one, but now, his beard was huge and his mustache even curled!  (That also did not seem to affect his singing).

SOPAC is a no photos venue, which is fine.  I did allow myself a couple of pictures when the show was over, of course.  And I sneaked in a couple when they returned for the encore.

With no opening act, I felt like the show was nice and relaxed (not that their shows feel rushed or anything).  But they had all the time in the world to be leisurely.

One of the things I have loved every time we see them is that they are very chatty (they probably take more time between songs than any band I’ve seen).  Harris Paseltiner seems like the warmest, sweetest guy.

They are also very funny in their anecdotes–they once again mentioned their rider, in which they ask for one orange (shared between two people) and a stick of ginger.  Auyon says if you eat a slice of fresh ginger on an orange, it makes a wonderful tasting treat and you don’t need a smoothie to enjoy it because you blend it in your mouth.

There was also a funny thing about their rider having pastilles from when they were in England.  And how everyone in America thinks they’re weird because where are you supposed to find those in the States?

I was less delighted at the old couple behind us who talked through much of the set–making observations about what instruments they were playing or whatever else.  I am going to have to get ear blockers that cover the backs of my ears so ic an’t hear the tools behind me.  And they will SHUT THE HELL UP so that they can read them.  Can I make that somehow?

They started off with the newish song “Singularity” and then jumped to an older favorite “Go Back.”  Last time they told us it was about Back to the Future, and I’ll never forget that fun fact.

After a few songs, everyone but Harris stepped off to the side.  He was tuning his guitar and said they were going to try something.  Don interrupted and said when Harris says “We” he means “He.”  We laughed, and it turned out to be a joke.  Because it wasn’t a solo song at all, it was an unmic’d a capella song.  And, amazingly, they had moved right in front of us.  So these off-center seats turned out to be the best possible seats.  Because the four of them were right in front of us.  Of course they sounded amazing.

It was a new song off the new EP and I can’t for the life of me remember if it was “Heart Again” of “Bright As the Day” because on the EP, nothing is a capella).

They played a few more songs including a rocking version of “Blow the House Down,” one of the few songs that David sings lead on.  I love the way the guitar solo roars (for them) and segues into a wild (for them) violin solo.  This version felt slightly tamer than others, although maybe I’ve just built up the wildness of it in my head.

And then they left for a set break.

Every time Auyon introduces the band, he does so with an amusing anecdote.  I wish someone was recording all of these introduction as they are so funny.  Hell I wish someone was recording all of their shows, too.

Auyon said that he has recently staring experimenting on the slackline (which became a shouted joke from someone in the audience later on).  He was doing it in the park–poorly–when a group of children gathered around and were watching him.  He said he tried to imagine if you didn’t really know what entertainment was and you thought that him continually falling off the slackline was entertainment.  How disappointed you would be.

He then proceeded to introduce the band members by the way they have disappointed him.

Don has as resting neutral face, which Auyon always assumes means that Don is on his side, until he reveals that he has been against him all along.

David is able to hold two conversations at once.  He also has a child, which is not disappointing.  But when he talks to the child (presumably on a hands free device) it’s always hard to know if he’s talking to you or them, which can be very confusing if his answers seem to correspond to what you’re saying

And now I forget what Harris does. Rats.

And of course Auyon is good at disappointing an audience.  Someone shouted out–not tonight!  And he quickly replied, “You just wait, sir.”

Set two was great.  They played a bunch of my favorite songs form their first album, including the wonderful “Harrison Ford.”  And Harris brought out the cello for two numbers, too.

Once again, they talked about hanging out in South Orange.  There were no fun facts about the city this time, but when Harris said they spent a lot of time exploring the city everyone laughed and he said it wasn’t a joke–it was a lovely city.  They also ate at the Ethiopian restaurant which I have yet to do and really want to.

Near the end of the set they played a song that sounded vaguely familiar but which I knew wasn’t theirs.  S. recognized it as a Neil Young song–“Red Sun” from one her favorite albums, Silver & Gold.

Then came a great version of “My Guy, My Gal” and unbelievably the set was over.

There was another guy in the audience who was very vocal in the second half.  I would have guessed he was drunk–perhaps he was mentally challenged. It was hard to know.  He was super enthusiastic and wonderfully supportive of the band, but he was also quite inappropriately shouting positive  things (at least not during the songs) and trying to converse with them.  It was bizarre how inappropriate this audience was for an older crowd in a quiet respectful venue.

I wasn’t sure if there would be an encore, but of course  there was.  They ended the set with the wonderful “The Best of the Best of Times.”

And that was that.

They told us they would meet and greet after the show.  But we were so pleased to be leaving early, that we didn’t stick around (this time).

However, I made sure to buy this awesome piece of merchandise (two great merch nights in a row).  The Dar-jee-lingside tea.  Which is quite delicious.

Sadly no one seems to ever write down their setlists for the shows that I see, so I’m basing these lists below on the shows that are around mine.  They are certainly similar if not the same.

The one hugely disappointing thing about Darlingside for me is that they have never played their cover of the Smashing Pumpkins song “1979” at one of my shows. Their version is stunning and I would love to hear it live.  Next time, please?

 

SOPAC, Sept 2019	Union Transfer, March 2018	SOPAC, Dec 2017
Set One	Singularity	God of Loss
Singularity	Eschaton	White Horses
Go Back	Go Back	My Love
Hold Your Head Up High	White Horses	Harrison Ford
Eschaton	My Gal, My Guy	Whippoorwill
Heart Again	Hold Your Head Up High	Blow the House Down
Bright as the Day (a capella)	Extralife	The Ancestor
Blow The House Down	The Ancestor	The Catbird Seat
The God of Loss	Harrison Ford	Volcano Sky
Set Two	Whippoorwill	Good For You
Extralife	Futures	Fourth of July
White Horses	Good For You	Clay & Cast Iron
The Ancestor	The Best of the Best of Times	My Gal, My Guy
Whippoorwill	The God of Loss	Go Back
Harrison Ford	encore	Sweet & Low
Orion	Orion	encore
Red Sun (Neil Young)	Blow the House Down	Good Man
My Gal, My Guy
encore
The Best of the Best of Times