Fleet Foxes @ Bowery Ballroom, 7/9/08

photo taken by Elizabeth Weinberg

Occasionally, there are moments in this internet age where a band can actually live up to the hype and praise garnered upon them. It's rare but it happens. From the moment Fleet Foxes collectively started singing last night, I was left speechless. Apparently lead singer Robin Pecknold is pretty sick but I can't remember the last time I was ever this blown away by someone's voice (maybe the first time I heard MJK). I love the Sun Giant EP, "Mykonos" along with Portishead's "The Rip" are the two best songs I've heard this year, but I've been on the fence about their self-titled debut. But after hearing the new(er) songs live last night, they take on a completely different meaning. Consider them added to the handful of bands that I'll be following very closely moving forward.

Sun Giant ->
Sun It Rises ->
Drops In The River
English House
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Crayon Angels [Judee Sill Cover] (Robin solo)
Oliver James (Robin solo)
He Doesn't Know Why
Mykonos
Blue Ridge Mountains
(encore)
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (Robin solo)

As an aside, I got a kick out of Robin's comment today on BV (he is also a frequent poster on Ateastweb, the Radiohead site that I frequent quite a bit):

Hey hey, came on here to see if the midnight show tmrw was announced. I'm really sorry for sounding sick tonight, it's been a long long haul the last few weeks and I feel really really super bad about not singing 100%. I even went to an emergency doctor today just to get some stuff that might help for this night's show and I waited around in a Duane Reade for an hour to get the prescription but I guess I took the pill too late. I will never smoke another cigarette as long as I live as well

I'm really sorry if you were let down :(

Also my hat looks stupid, I have a dumb haircut, and I need to lose some weight

Luff
Robin

Too funny.