Live Review: A Silent Film @ The Bowery Ballroom
Video Interview with A Silent Film can be viewed here.
This past Sunday, New York was still brimming with post-Halloween spirit going right into a vibrant performance by British duo A Silent Film at the Bowery Ballroom.
Opening up the show was Flagship, consisting of Drake Margolnick and Michael Finster from North Carolina. Of the quartet on stage, Mikey (as he had introduced himself to me before the show) on the drums seemed to be having the best time, smiling the whole way through and making the set even more fun to watch.
From the get-go when A Silent Film came out, the crowd came ready to party, feeding the band all the energy they needed to power through the night. I, and everyone around me, danced around, all getting our cardio workouts for the day. Not many artists quite match this kind of stage presence.
I couldn’t tell you how many times they talked about being proud of their self-titled record, released only a few weeks ago — and rightfully so. Tracks such as “Strong Enough” and my personal favorite, “Lavender Fields,” were met with cheers (and nearly tears) from the audience.
That isn’t to say, though, that upbeat songs from their older albums weren’t met with just as much enthusiasm, if not more. The venue briefly turned into a 90s synthpop club for “Danny, Dakota & the Wishing Well,” and Robert had no problem getting everyone on key for “Harbour Lights.”
And one girl in the front row (who may or may not have been whipped in the face by Robert’s mic cord) drummed along to every song, with Spencer oh-so-modestly saying he knows he’s a fantastic drummer.
Some lineup changes made for a noticeable shift in the dynamic on stage, following the departure of two founding members. On stage this time around was a Jake and two Matts (on bass, guitar, and keyboard, respectively), one being producer Matthew Wilcox, who worked with the band on the latest release. While recording, the duo initially didn’t even entertain the thought that Wilcox would want to tour with them.
The core two have been playing music together since years prior to forming A Silent Film, and the journey to recording the new record and touring thus far has been a refreshing return to those roots.
It became clear when Spencer and Robert came out for an encore, performing a stripped-down version of their song “Lamplight,“ off the first record. Just the two of them with a piano and a shaker created a more intimate feeling with the crowd. They noted that previously, they hardly ever did this one live; but, now that it’s just the two of them, they can do whatever they want. And clearly, they’re having a great time doing it.
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