Monsters of Folk - In Review

A sold-out Stubb’s audience gathered Friday to hear the gospel of the Monsters of Folk in the band’s last scheduled US stop on this tour. In concert with the religious themes running throughout their debut album, the men themselves seem to take the form of evangelists on stage, preaching their modern-day folklore and bewilderment of the universe. Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Austin’s own Will Johnson dominated the stage for almost 3 hours, playing almost every song from their album plus a healthy mix of songs from the guys’ separate bands.

The group opened with the album’s first single, “Say Please,” a stomping sing-along that allows Ward, James, and Oberst to trade verses, and allows Mogis to wail on a brief guitar solo. The guys appeared as rock missionaries: they were all in smart suits, which gave them each an aura of radio storytellers. The prominence of their songs’ lyrics naturally lends itself to this image, as well.

Throughout their set, members of the band would come and go from the stage as duets, trios and full-band performances allowed everyone to regain their energy. Bright Eyes songs probably got the most play, with songs pulled from albums as far back as Fevers and Mirrors. “Kathy With a K’s Song” was a welcome surprise, re-worked from the raw rock tune it originally was to a summery, almost tropical song. At the climactic “I can hear it now,” Oberst and Ward kept the song calm and sweet, which gave it an interesting restrained feeling for fans familiar with the original. During “A Song To Pass The Time,” the audience exploded in applause when Oberst growled, “And they will be laughing/Ha ha ha/My mediocrity.” “At The Bottom Of Everything” and “Hit the Switch” garnered the most crowd excitement from the Bright Eyes repertoire. People pumped their fists and sang along – sometimes a little too vehemently, perhaps, but nonetheless earnestly.

Jim James, the band’s self-proclaimed “dad”, was possibly the biggest star of the night. Whenever James hit his myriad inhuman high notes, men in the crowd applauded and pumped their fists the way they would for the pitcher of their home team. “Bermuda Highway” was an ethereal treat, in which James coached, “Don’t let your silly dreams/Fall in between/The crack of the bed and the wall.” “At Dawn” also encouraged enthusiasm from the crowd, and was a great example of the deep, heart-squeezing sounds that came from Johnson’s kick drum and whichever singer was on bass during any given song. “Smokin’ From Shootin’” was the standout of the My Morning Jacket tunes, exploding in a mass of head-banging and soul-twisting awesome physical energy.

Ward’s tunes were often the most gentle of the evening, but he commanded the stage with the most authority. “Vincent O’ Brien” was like an old-timey bar song, while “One Hundred Million Years” was a sweet love song showcasing Ward’s silky voice. “Chinese Translation” was the crowd favorite from the Ward catalogue, inducing a clap-along.

Of course, the best songs of this performance were the ones the band composed together. “Slow Down Joe” was stretched into a sexy, sultry sleeper, whereas “Losin Yo Head” caused the crowd to shuffle their feet and shake their hips. “Man Named Truth” took us all to hell to face off with the devil, as the stage lights flashed red and James’ whispered “ooh”’s forced goosebumps. For “Baby Boomers,” one audience member bent his knees and boogied down, inspiring joy and a ripple-effect of dancing. “Dear God” brought back Marvin Gaye, as the backbeat pushed forward and the synth-harp punctuated the verses that Ward, James and Oberst traded off.

The group dynamic was incredibly enjoyable to watch, as the guys (James and “sons”) would shoot knowing, sly glances at one another, sharing inside jokes and battling with guitar riffs the way children have foam sword wars. Initially, it felt as though we in the audience were merely being allowed a voyeuristic peek at this family-through-friendship band, but by the end of the show, we were all a part of the reunion. When the men re-emerged for an encore, Oberst responded to a jab he made at Texas in 2005. Back then, he declared, “I don't know if you know this, but I hate your fuckin’ state. I'd put a fuckin’ gun to my head before I'd live in your state.” Saturday night, Oberst said, “I’ve said a lot of stupid shit in my life but I wanna say it – I love you, Texas!” Naturally, the crowd was pleased. The night ended on a glorious note, with the super allegorical “His Master’s Voice.” The guys’ harmonies shone throughout the night, but when they erupted at the verse “calling like a lady siren’s call,” a shiver ran up our collective spines and the guy standing next to me turned and said, “I just jizzed my pants.” It was also magical to discover that the godly “calling” echoing at the end of the track is nothing but James bellowing the word into a looped mic. The sound was the kind that fills your entire body, and the stage lights spilled into the audience and flashed to mimic an idealist’s dream of what experiencing death might be like. The loop continued on as the group left the stage, but they entered one final time, holding hands in a line, and took a bow to an audience enthralled with them. It’s safe to say that those in attendance are now true believers in the Monsters of Folk.

Setlist:
1. Say Please
2. The Right Place
3. Soul Singer In A Session Band
4. Slow Down Jo
5. Man Named Truth
6. Lullaby & Exile
7. We Are Nowhere And It’s Now
8. A Song To Pass The Time
9. I Will Be There When You Die
10. Golden
11. Vincent O’Brien
12. Ahead Of The Curve
13. Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
14. One Hundred Million Years
15. Chinese Translation
16. Smoke Without Fire
17. At Dawn
18. Baby Boomer
19. Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
20. Temazcal
21. To Save Me
22. Kathy With A K’s Song
23. Goodway
24. Just To Know What You’ve Been Dreaming
25. Bermuda Highway
26. Look At You
27. One Life Away
28. Map Of The World
29. The Sandman The Brakeman And Me
30. Smokin’ From Shootin’
31. Hit The Switch
32. Losin Yo Head
33. At The Bottom Of Everything
34. Whole Lotta Losin’
35. Another Taveling Song
36. His Masters Voice