Now That Everything Is Gonna Be Okay

tUnE-yArDs @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 5/21/2011

Hatari / Do You Wanna Live? (Party Can) / You Yes You / Gangsta / Powa / Riotriot / Fiya / Bizness / Real Live Flesh / Es-So / Doorstep // My Country /// Killa

tUnE-yArDs “You Yes You”

In my previous experiences with tUnE-yArDs in concert, they were playing to audiences who were not familiar with them, or maybe had heard the first album and had no idea that they were in for one of the very best live acts in music today. Part of the thrill in those shows was the shared discovery of Merrill Garbus’ phenomenal talent and charisma — that “oh my God, who is this woman and where has she been all my life and holy shit this song I’ve never heard before in my life is amaaaazing” thing.

Part of the fun in this show was that it was a sold out room full of people who had fallen in love with w h o k i l l and could not be more excited to be witnessing the great Merrill Garbus in action. This was a loud, excited and deeply reverent crowd. Every so often, when the audience would get particularly intense, bassist Nate Brenner would get this look of bemused pride on his face like “Merrill, you’ve done it again.” That guy complements her so perfectly — his bass playing is brilliant and rises to the level of her voice and those songs, but he’s also this cool, relaxed character who casts her enormous personality in sharp relief.

I could gush about this show endlessly. Everything about this performance is impressive, thrilling and life-affirming. It made me feel inspired glad to be alive. The only thing I can say about this show that is even close to a criticism is that the sequence of the set frontloaded a lot of the most thrilling songs, so that I think the peak of the show — the ecstatic climax of “Powa” — came a bit too early. That’s such a minor complaint, though. I was smiling the whole time. I’m smiling right now just thinking about it. Go see this band play live.

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