The Naked And Famous at Tivoli Vredenburg, Friday 10 February 2017

They’re not a particularly dynamic or interactive band on stage, but it was nice to hear them play their songs. I particularly liked them playing “The Source” and “The Sun”, because I hadn’t expected them to break out downbeat tracks like that in a concert. Their rendition of “No Way” was a surprise. On the recording the slow and quiet verses are punctuated by interludes of heavy drums and guitars. On stage, they held the drums and guitars at bay for the first of those waves, leaving only a modest piano dropping individual notes. When the drums and guitars did come in on the next pass, they crashed down like waves in a storm.

Another thing I hadn’t expected was the extent to which Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith share centre stage. Whenever I think of The Naked And Famous, it’s Alisa’s voice I hear. But Thom sings on a lot more of their songs than I had given him credit for.

Set list:

  1. The Water Beneath You
  2. Higher
  3. All Of This
  4. Punching In A Dream
  5. Golden Girl/Roilling Waves
  6. The Source/The Sun
  7. I Kill Giants
  8. Losing Our Control
  9. A Stillness
  10. Hearts Like Ours
  11. No Way
  12. Laid Low
  13. Girls Like You
  14. Young Blood

Encore:

  1. Last Forever
  2. Rotten