Live Review: Liam Finn Mumuration @ The Lexington.

Liam Finn is a force to be reckoned with. In the first of his 4 Murmuration residency shows at the Lexington, he brings his crew of old friends, new band mates The Dream Team including his brother Elroy on drums and longtime collaborator singer Eliza Jane Barnes to create a very memorable night.

Eschewing the usual support act for a ‘play’ (in reality, more of a funny idea involving Connan Mockasin as a lizardy music teacher who mistakes a male student with a blonde wig perched on his head for a female – hi-jinx ensue) in Boston ‘N Dobson a play by Blake and Connan.

Followed by a faux comedy club Kool Komedy Klub reads their spray painted sign, the call for jokes from the audience is put out and none other than James Blake tells one about corduroy.

This sets up the communal vibe nicely as Liam Finn shows are nothing if not inclusive; of the audience and of his friends who lend a hand throughout, whether it’s smearing something (oil?) on Finn’s chest and fitting a sparkly bolero-ish jacket on him for a number in the crowd or sharing a mic on the intensely raw I’ll Be Lightning, we feel like we’re included in this close group of friends.

Connan Mockasin is never far from the stage, playing guitar, singing, hitting the swirly noise maker thing, making eyes at Liam.

Despite the goofy antics, the music is as strong as ever and songs like Helena Bonham Carter and Ocean Emmanuelle (“about discovering the soft core 70’s film Emmanuelle when you’re 11”) from the new album The Nihilist both go places you don’t expect and remind us how much talent this kid has.

Words and Photography by Rachel Lipsitz 1st September 2014. Rachel is a gifted photographer and has her own website here: http://www.littletrousers.com/

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