Pinback w/MC Chris @ Richard's on Richards - Feb 15/08

When Pinback played Richard's on Richards in February, they were suffering from colds and initially out of tune. And although I don't think it was a great show, I have to say I would gladly see them again if given the opportunity.

Playing mainly material from their 2007 Autumn of the Seraphs album, Pinback was able to recreate the beauty of their recorded music for the assembled crowd. And for a group of mainly 20-somethings, the crowd was somewhat diverse: the expected indie hipster types, baseball cap sporting hip hoppers there for the opener MC Chris, some moshers, and the bookish girls who discovered Pinback on an OC soundtrack on stools circling the balcony, flanked by their harmless-looking boyfriends.

My musician friend pointed out Zach Smith chording on his bass, and after that I was aware that Pinback certainly seem to be all about the bass. Two are featured on some of the songs and bass duties are shared among Smith, Rob Crow and one of their touring musicians. Smith plays bass exclusively and is the higher voice on vocals; the heavily-bearded Crow standing behind a keyboard for the perrformance, switches between that, guitar and bass and does the remaining vocals. Two backing musicians play guitars and keyboards on either side of the Pinback duo when needed and the group is rounded out by the drummer.

Pinback play their set at sped-up tempos making for a more energetic show than you may imagine from listening to them at home. And I was delighted to find the sound was just as pretty and transporting.

Within the 16 song setlist, thoroughly covering the album they're touring to support, Pinback also played a half dozen songs from their earlier albums, including 'Non Photo-Blue' and the best-known song 'Fortress' (welcomed by high-pitched eruptions from the balcony) from the 2004 Summer in Abaddon, 'Penelope' from 2001's Blue Screen Life, and a lone song, 'Loro', from their 1999 debut Pinback.

I know they weren't playing their best on this night, but they still made a bigger fan of me than I was going in. The show gave me an inkling into how good Pinback likely are when in top form, and I hope to have that pleasure one day in the future.

Setlist:

Bouquet
Torch
Non Photo-Blue
Penelope
Good To Sea
How We Breathe
Walters
Devil You Know
Subbing For Eden
Microtonic Wave
(something I didn't recognize)
B
From Nothing To Nowhere
Encore:
Loro
Fortress
AFK

Video Clip from February 15, 2008

Pinback - 'Fortress' (captured from the balcony):