The Fiery Furnaces [Show Review]
On Saturday night, Eleanor and Matt Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces performed the second of their back-to-back Austin shows - and the final gig of their short tour as an acoustic duo - at Lamberts. These were welcome and rare opportunities to see two of this young millenium’s most prolific indie rock/pop artists.
It’s hard to imagine a set loaded with The Fiery Furnaces’ songs without instrumentals performed by Matt, with his spirited abandon. The front of his upright piano had been removed and its action was mic’d, so the percussiveness of the hammers lent an appropriately raw edge to this minimalist show. His performance was surprisingly restrained and his playing was far more precise than one would expect from the band’s albums (with the exception of the wonderfully stripped-down Take Me Round Again). Matt’s choice of a more reserved style was quite welcome, as the night clearly belonged to his sister, Eleanor.
Eleanor Friedberger can pack an astonishing number of syllables into a single line of lyrics. She effortlessly flitted over alliterations that would leave most singers mercilessly tongue-tied. Her voice was powerful and her presence was absolutely commanding. Her strong alto voice, with timbre that ranges from scornfully caustic to softly soothing, had those at the front of the house rapt with appreciative attention. It’s less certain what her effect was on those at the back of Lamberts’ small upstairs bar, but they were chatting up a storm about something. Eleanor classily asked that there be no “shhhshing” of them, although it’s hard to imagine that anyone had something better to do than listen to her for an hour and a half.
The Friendbergers’ acoustic performance was thoroughly enjoyable; the ridiculously noisy venue was not. Most significantly, it was a portent of a possibly wonderful solo album from Eleanor. Hopefully, she’ll make it back to Austin soon in support of her forthcoming solo album, Last Summer, set for release on July 12.
Fiery Furnaces: [website]
