Magnetic Fields at the Beacon Theater

I had the chance to see the Magnetic Fields perform last night at the Beacon Theater in New York City, one of two scheduled performances at the renowned venue. They're touring in support of their new album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea. I'm a fan of their music, I especially love the albums Charm of the Highway Strip and 69 Love Songs, but going into the show I wasn't completely familiar with their extensive catalog. I know those two albums well, and I've heard snippets of the new album and a few other popular older songs, but they have been producing music since 1990. I had no idea what to expect.

Frontman Stephin Merritt is the force behind the band. He writes, produces, and sings most of the songs on the album. He has a strong and steady baritone voice. The music is unique, it can be described as indie pop combined with alternative underground rock, containing some country and electronic influences and elements. The songs are all soft, pleasant and warm. They're concise and structured around beautiful pop melodies and hooks. There's a certain uncommon element to the timing of the hooks, it's hard to describe but wonderful to hear. The lyrics are eccentric, romantic and reflective, often humorous, and there is a strong emphasis on this throughout all of their work.

The band came on stage at 9:15pm and was comprised of five members. Cladia Gonson on piano and vocals, cellist Sam Davol, guitarist John Woo, Shirley Simms on ukelele and vocals, and Merritt on melodica. Before the music began, Merritt joked with Gonson about her flowers and how they need to be removed from the top of the piano. "I won't be paying for that Steinway... or Yamaha" he joked. A stagehand came on and placed the flowers front and center on a rug. This set the tone for the entire performance.

This was less a concert and more a recital. The entire audience was seated and captivated the whole show, sometimes laughing at the playful lyrics, but mostly quiet for the music. The band made their way through 27 songs, including the two song encore. They played a lot from the new album and plucked all the rest from their full catalog, even going back to their very first album for one track. Gonson, Simms and Merritt all took turns singing, sometimes harmonizing together beautifully, such as on the standout "Plant White Roses." The material is romantic and slow paced and the performance was elegant. The string instruments were especially graceful and their mingling with the piano was exquisite.

There was a lot of stage banter. Most of the songs got introductions, sometimes humorous quips or sarcastic comments. My favorite line from the show was when Merritt said, "I was once asked by a journalist about sincerity. I told him, do you really think that Mick Jagger couldn't get any satisfaction?" The crowd laughed and the band then played "You Must Be Out of Your Mind." When the show ended and the lights went up "Satisfaction" could faintly be heard over the loudspeakers as everyone made their way to the exits.

Here are several videos of the show that my girlfriend and I took using our iPhones:

All in all it was a gracious and refined performance that was very satisfying. I enjoyed every single song, despite not knowing about 50% of the tracks played. Saying this, I believe that seeing them once is probably enough, at least for a long while. You get the gist of their performance style and the music they play with one show and their albums don't really vary enough to be surprised by a new sound or tempo. It was an excellent concert nevertheless, and I'm glad I had the chance to see them play.

Setlist:
I Die
A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
Your Girlfriend's Face
Reno Dakota
Come Back From San Francisco
No One Will Ever Love You
I've Run Away to Join The Fairies
Plant White Roses
Drive On Driver
My Husband's Pied-A-Terre
Time Enough for Rocking
The Horrible Party
Smoke and Mirrors
Goin' Back to the Country
Andrew in Drag
Quick!
Busby Berkeley Dreams
Boa Constrictor
The Book of Love
Fear of Trains
You Must Be Out of Your Mind
Grand Canyon
Swinging London
It's Only Time
Smile! No One Cares How You Feel (The Gothic Archies cover)

Encore:
Tar-Heel Boy
Forever and a Day