speed of dark

From left: Wargo, Pecknold, and Skjelset
At one point I wasn't planning to go to this show because I knew I would have to go alone, and that's kind of a hassle due to the distance and traffic. But as I was enjoying listening Fleet Foxes' CD and writing my review, I suddenly thought, "WHY am I not seeing these people???" I bought my ticket right then, which turned out to be a good thing. Fleet Foxes sold out all three of their southern California shows, and other dates on their U.S. tour are also sold out.

If you're even considering seeing them, don't hesitate another second to buy your ticket. The current tour is perhaps the last time for Average Joe Concertgoer to see Fleet Foxes in an intimate setting. In the future you will be standing in a crowd at a festival or, if they play a small venue, you'll have to know someone to get a ticket.

Many of those who did hesitate and arrived without a ticket at Saturday night's show at the Echo were disappointed to find they wouldn't get in. However, those who were at the front of the line without tickets got an unexpected reprieve. I don't know how Robin Pecknold (the creative center around which Fleet Foxes revolves) found out there were people without tickets outside, but he appeared on the sidewalk with the band's guest list in hand and put the first five people in line in the empty slots. Then he somehow wangled the next ten ticketless people in as well. I'm not saying this to encourage anyone to try to crash sold-out shows, only to illustrate the generosity of Pecknold's character. It's that same sweetness of spirit that shines through in his songs.



Although the five-member band appeared a bit cramped on the tiny stage (I think I heard keyboardist Casey Wescott say that he wished he could get his feet on the stage) and the room was stiflingly hot, the closeness perfectly showcased all the warmth and hominess that are some of the best characteristics of Fleet Foxes. You could see Pecknold practically blush with pleasure at the enthusiastic applause. Drummer Josh Tillman kept throwing out humorous asides.

Click to enlarge:

Left: Fleet Foxes; Right: J. Tillman

And the sound--oh the sound! It was the best I've heard yet at the Echo. Everything you hear on the record was there, and if anything it was even better. Pecknold has an incredible voice by himself, but the four-part harmonies with Chris Wargo (bass), Wescott, and Tillman were full, on-target, and exhilarating. Lead guitarist Skye Skjelset is the only one who doesn't sing, but he supports more than ably on guitar and mandolin.

The setlist consisted of songs from their Sun Giant EP and their brilliant self-titled full-length, both released this year. They opened with "Sun Giant," the four-part a capella harmonies bringing to mind either a Baptist church choir or a barber-shop quartet. Fleet Foxes have the precision to make either an accurate comparison. On "Drops In the River," which sounded even stronger than the recorded version, Skjelset bows the guitar strings to make that moaning sound.

After "Your Protector," Robin said, "The first half of this next song is a Judee Sill cover." This turned out to be "Crayon Angels," after which he segued directly into "Oliver James" without a pause. The main set ended with one of my many favorites, "Mykonos," from Sun Giant. The last part always makes me think of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young singing "Ohio."

Setlist:
1. Sun Giant
2. Sun It Rises
3. Drops in the River
4. English House
5. White Winter Hymnal
6. Your Protector
7. Judee Sill cover: "Crayon Angels" (lyrics)
8. Oliver James
9. He Doesn't Know Why
(At Tillman's suggestion, Wargo doodled a jazz bit while Robin retuned his guitar to compensate for a broken string)
10. Mykonos

Encore
10. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song -- Robin played this solo on electric guitar while his bandmates restrung his acoustic guitar offstage.
11. Blue Ridge Mountains - gorgeous ending!

Attention vinyl-lovers: LPs are for sale at the merch table.
Shout-outs to all the nice people I met (and remet!) in line and in the audience!

MySpace | Website | Label: SubPop Records/Bella Union | Lyrics
Buy: SubPop Store, iTunes, and Amazon.com

Show Schedule:
Check Fleet Foxes MySpace for dates and venues. Wilco ticketholders in Salt Lake City, Boise, Spokane, and Bend will see Fleet Foxes opening those shows.