[ATTENDED: October 8, 2024] Kishi Bashi
This was our SIXTH (!) time seeing Kishi Bashi and it was so different from the last time!
The previous show was an anniversary show of his debut album. This one was supporting his new album.
The previous show was at the tiny Foundry and this one was at the (relatively) huge Brooklyn Bowl. And, K. came out with a fantastic outfit (stunning jacket and pants) and a kick ass keytar!
Tall Tall Trees was on banjo and keys, but his backing band was the guys from Sweet Loretta! And they suited him perfectly.
K. busted out a violin of course, and stayed with some of the newer dancier songs for a while.
There was a couple in front of us who were pretty grossly all over each other (their elaborate dance routines took up way too much space). But they were also huge fans and knew all the songs, so I couldn’t be too annoyed.
Although the first songs were new, he didn’t leave out the old stuff, jumping right into It All Began with a Burst (and he still builds the songs with a looping pedal).
I loved the way he mixed up the albums he played from, with a dancey and lovely Can’t Let Go Juno, followed by a beautiful (fantastic harmonies from Sweet Loretta) Marigolds.
After playing Colorful State from the new album, he did a fun beat boxing improv which he said he hoped someone recorded and might send it to him so he could develop it later (I did, but he didn’t acknowledge it).
The rest of the band stayed away as he did a fantastic solo rendition of I am the Antichrist to You. K. has always had a great voice but it has gotten even better over the years. Then he busted out an acoustic guitar for the lovely, gentle Summer of ’42.
The band returned for the appropriately large Violin Tsunami and then played the Talking Heads cover.
And then things got crazy. The band returned dressed in costumes including one of the crew dressed in golden wings like Icarus for Escape from Knossos/Icarus with some seriously heavy rocking from the Sweet Loretta guys (some killer guitar soloing) and some wicked use of the keytar. The chaos settled into a big dancealong of Hahaha Pt. 2 a very unexpected (but welcomed) song choice!
Lilliputian Chop continued the dancey/funky vein and then we were joined by Mr Steak (how much I love how silly Kishi Bashi shows can get). Mr. Steak danced to his song and we all danced along.
Kishi Bashi has not gotten to the point where he’s not going to play some of my favorite songs because he has so many songs. But he didn’t leave out the fantastic Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! (complete with beatboxing and looping).
The set ended with a fun clapalong of Honeybody. And yes everybody was in the best mood after that.
For the encore, K and the band all moved to the center of the floor (we hung back away from the throngs. They gathered round and stood on a chair and sang the sweetest Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear. It was like a campfire in the dimly lit room. It was followed by a more soaring Manchester.
Then they ended with a fun cover of Rod Stewart’s Ooh La La with the chorus I wish that I knew what I know now
when I was younger. They continued to sing the song from the middle of the floor to backstage.
What a fun-filled night. I’m only surprised more people don’t know about him. We look forward to show number 7!
| 2024 Brooklyn Bowl |
2022 The Foundry |
2019 Union Transfer |
| Violin Akai € |
Intro / Pathos, Pathos ∇ |
Marigolds Ø |
| Chiba Funk € |
Manchester ∇ |
F Delano Ø |
| Late Night Comic € |
Bright Whites ∇ |
Hey Big Star $ |
| It All Began With a Burst ∇ |
It All Began With a Burst ∇ |
Say Yeah $ |
| Can’t Let Go, Juno $ |
Wonder Woman, Wonder Me ∇ |
Carry on Phenomenon ∠ |
| Marigolds Ø |
Atticus, in the Desert ∇ |
Honeybody $ |
| Colorful State € |
I Am the Antichrist to You ∇ |
Honeybody Remix $ |
| solo improv |
Beat the Bright Out of Me ∇ |
Can’t Let Go, Juno $ |
| I Am the Antichrist to You (solo) ∇ |
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover) |
Theme From Jerome (Forgotten Words) Ø |
| Summer of ’42 (solo) Ø |
Q&A ∠ |
I Am the Antichrist to You (solo) ∇ |
| Violin Tsunami Ø |
Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear Ø |
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover) (solo) |
| This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Talking Heads cover) (solo) |
Marigolds Ø |
Violin/Banjo improv |
| Escape from Knossos € |
I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) (Meat Loaf cover) |
Bright Whites ∇ |
| Icarus IV € |
The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠ |
Q&A ∠ |
| Hahaha Pt. 2 ∠ |
Honeybody (began with studio arrangement which bled into performing in the style of the Mattsoro remix) $ |
Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear Ø |
| Lilliputian Chop € |
encore |
Angeline Ø |
| The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠ |
Violin Tsunami Ø |
Violin Tsunami Ø |
| Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠ |
Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠ |
Ode to My Next Life $ |
| Honeybody $ |
|
Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠ |
| encore |
|
Atticus, in the Desert ∇ |
| Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear (acoustic, in crowd) Ø |
|
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life (Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes cover) |
| Manchester (acoustic, in crowd) ∇ |
|
The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠ |
| Ooh La La (Rod Stewart cover) (acoustic, in crowd) |
|
It All Began With a Burst ∇ |
|
|
encore |
|
|
Annie, Heart Thief of the Sea (acoustic, in crowd) Ø |
|
|
Manchester (acoustic, in crowd) ∇ |
|
|
Summer of ’42 (acoustic, in crowd) Ø |
| 2016 Union Transfer |
2015 TLA (opening for Guster) |
2014 New Brunswick (opening for Rod y Gab) |
| Stranger Things Theme [recordong] |
violin improv |
violin improv |
| Statues in a Gallery $ |
Atticus, in the Desert ∇ |
It All Began With a Burst ∇ |
| Hey Big Star $ |
Bright Whites ∇ |
Bittersweet Genesis for Him AND Her ∠ |
| m’lover $ |
Bittersweet Genesis for Him AND Her ∠ |
Atticus, in the Desert ∇ |
| Atticus, in the Desert (featuring extended banjo percussion solo) ∇ |
The Ballad of Mr. Steak ∠ |
Bright Whites ∇ |
| Bright Whites (with improv interlude featuring flute solo) ∇ |
Q&A ∠ |
Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠ |
| Carry on Phenomenon ∠ |
Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠ |
Manchester ∇ |
| Who’d You Kill $ |
Manchester ∇ |
|
| Can’t Let Go, Juno $ |
|
|
| Say Yeah $ |
|
|
| Ode to My Next Life $ |
|
|
| I Am the Antichrist to You ∇ (solo) |
|
|
| The Ballad of Mr. Steak (featuring Mr. Steak) ∠ |
|
|
| Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It! ∠ |
|
|
| It All Began With a Burst (with “Don’t vote for Trump” vocal loop) ∇ |
|
|
| encore |
|
|
| Honeybody $ |
|
|
| Q&A ∠ |
|
|
| Manchester ∇ |
|
|
€ Kantos (2024)
Ø Omoiyari (2019)
$ Sonderlust (2016)
∠ Lighght (2014)
∇ 151a (2012)
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Sweet Loretta is from England. They’ve been around for a while but only recently released their first EP/album. When I looked them up, the first song I heard featured Kishi Bashi. How odd, I thought. I liked the song–it reminds me of Kishi Bashi’s more dancey stuff.
I Just Read About That... 