Unique is an adjective that can't be modified. But if there had to be an exception to the rule, in the form of "very unique," it could easily be applied to the Fiery Furnaces show last night at Lulu's Nightspot, 129 1/2 Pugh St.
Eleanor Friedberger, with her down-to-her-eyes-bangs and her orator-like diction, led the band with her vocals and alarming energy, at times exuding shrilly urgency that waned into contemplation. Her lyrical narrative took the 200-person crowd for a ride, jutting into frenetic paranoia and melting into distinct melodies at climactic moments.
Watching the band was like watching the plot of a David Lynch film unfurl. Repetitive lyrics like "Zapped by the zombie"? What the hell is she talking about? But the viewer gets the feeling that it's something big -- something with momentum -- making the show all the more intensely gratifying.
The set, with music mostly written by Eleanor's brother and Fiery Furnaces keyboard player Matthew Friedberger, was seemingly all over the place though one could discern a clear yet sprawling semblance of structure. Though Eleanor's vocals were an apparent driving force, they had to compete fiercely with infectious, sporadic keyboards and blaring drums.
The show's opener, "Navy Nurse," set a passionate and enthusiastic tone for the rest of the show, with Eleanor spouting the lines "If there's anything I've had enough of, it's today" repeatedly, making the crowd shriek exaltations right off the bat. The intimate venue was anything but somber and soft, with the crowd singing and dancing throughout most of the songs.
Though there were numerous highlights throughout the show, perhaps the most well-received were fan favorites "Evergreen" and "Blueberry Boat."
The thumping blasts of "The Philadelphia Grand Jury" and "Clear Signal from Cairo" clearly displayed drummer Andy Knowles' percussion mastery.
Midway through the set, Matthew beckoned the crowd to participate in "Democ Rock," a democratic rendition of the usually shouted fan requests. Fans were asked to write down their favorites on pieces of paper and hand them up to the front of the stage, on which those songs with the most requests would be played at the end of the set.
"Tropical Iceland" won by a landslide, and the band even contemplated just playing the song twice. The show ended with an encore, and the band came back on stage to sing "Asthma Attack," a fitting, energy-filled ending to a show that wove spurts of enthusiasm throughout its entire set.
Drink Up Buttercup, the band that opened for The Fiery Furnaces, was another venture into the strange but intriguing. This time, though, it was in the form of an outlandish, circus-like set filled with trashcan banging and maraca-enthused hysteria.
The Bucks County natives stomped around singing wild melodies empowered by soaring bass and spasmodic percussion (which, of course, was enhanced by not one but two battered trashcans). Drink Up Buttercup was a suitable opener, making one of the most fascinating shows of the year a complete, auditory success.
