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The United Theater on Broadway
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The United Theater on Broadway
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Curran Theatre
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Curran Theatre
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Curran Theatre
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Curran Theatre
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Carolina Theatre - Durham
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Carolina Theatre - Durham
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Variety Playhouse
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Variety Playhouse
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THE MAGNETIC FIELDS IN CONCERT:
Indie darlings The Magnetic Fields have been captivating fans with their singular sound and mesmerizing live performances for more than two decades. With a deep catalog spanning everything from lo-fi synth tunes to majestic chamber pop masterpieces, the band is anything but predictable, and their live shows always take fans on an emotional journey. The Fields' chief creative force is Stephin Merritt, a booming and melancholic baritone known for his idiosyncrasies – he only wears brown, he's bitingly sarcastic, and he suffers from hyperacusis, a rare hearing condition that has left him extremely sensitive to loud noise. Rather than hamper the show, Merritt's condition has made the band's performances even more unique and wondrous, leading them to favor a stripped-down setup consisting of acoustic instruments and limited percussion. The result is a hushed, haunting experience that showcases Merritt's dazzling songwriting prowess and holds fans in rapt attention until the very last note.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
The Magnetic Fields began in the early '90s as the bedroom recording project of Stephin Merritt, a Boston-based musician who started penning tunes during junior high after discovering Swedish pop superstars ABBA. Merritt's first two releases under the moniker, 1991's Distant Plastic Trees and 1992's The Wayward Bus, featured lead vocals by Susan Anyway, but by 1994's The Charm of the Highway Strip Merritt had taken over vocal responsibilities. After parting ways with Anyway, Merritt put together a full band for a pair of mid-'90s albums, but The Magnetic Fields didn't find widespread success until 1999's Love Songs, a critical masterstroke that made them indie darlings virtually overnight. Since then the band has continued to court critical acclaim with stellar releases like 2008's Distortion and 2012's Love at the Bottom of the Sea. With The Magnetic Fields' 11th album 50 Song Memoir slated to drop in early 2017 (their first record in five years), the band has ticket buyers eagerly awaiting their return to the stage in support of the release.
The Magnetic Fields were in fine form as they played through their masterpiece: 69 Love Songs. Lead singer/songwriter Stephin Merritt was his usual deadpan self as he explained his songs’ origins.
Fun, emotional, cool, sad, everything and more. Perfect!
Simply a delight. Each live song serves as a self-contained narrative, yet they collectively form a cohesive exploration of love in its many forms. From witty and playful to melancholic and introspective, each live rendition encapsulates a unique perspective on love, showcasing the band's versatility and storytelling prowess, which allows listeners to delve into different facets of love while experiencing the album(s) as a unified work of art.
Unlike in 2000, the last time they did any back-to-back shows where they played the whole triple album over two nights, they have a much bigger touring ensemble this time around (double in size in fact), and it makes an enormous difference. Arrangements no longer feel like they had to be scaled back - in fact, they actually add a few subtle touches that arguably improve the material. They're also performing with a touch more vigor than what you'd hear on the record - Stephin especially is singing better with more dexterity than he did 25 years ago. A wonderful time, if you love this album, don't miss it, it's possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the sense that it'll never be performed better on-stage.
Magnetic Fields delivered a good performance. Seating a bit tight. Sound mix was a little off. Could not hear/feel the backing drum tracks or the bass for most of the night. Overall volume seemed a tad low.
Stephen Merritt is a Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, level songwriter so it's not surprising his magnum opus The 69 Love Songs has held up so well. While the later LD Beightel was missed the rest sounded fully invested and their playing was first rate. As this was a conceptual art project of cataloging all types of love songs the energy was never high but each song was still a jewel. Hearing Claudia Gonson complain that her older voice was an octive lower on Acoustic Guitar made me think of the ways my 63 year old mind a body has aged over 25 years too
Completely delightful! Such a great, witty band and so musically accomplished - lots of fun! And a really likable opening act with Jake Xerxes Fussel.
The Magnetic Fields really delivered with excellent sound and wonderful set list. Could have skipped the opening act, though!
Top 20 worst concerts I have ever seen. The set design had Steven front and center while the entire band was basically behind the set and you could not see them. Was shocked they had an intermission and that was when we left. He also used a video project there. Why would I want to watch stupid videos and not a very talented band?
Such a good concert: so distinctive a singer, such heart wrenching lovely tunes (a Burt Bacharach-Hal David of alt music) alternating with wry observational and catchy ditties (alt pop at its wittiest).
