Thursday, February 16^th

Venue: The Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY

Artist: Pearl and the Beard

Reviewer: Nikki Piecoro

Drink of choice for the evening: Magic Hat

I met up with fellow IAS contributor, and concert buddy D.Ro on a rainy Thursday night to see one of our favorite new bands: Pearl and the Beard. Not only were they playing at a fantastic venue (Music Hall of Williamsburg), but they were also debuting songs from the Prodigal Daughter Extended Single. This included a solo song from each of the three band members, which they were also performing that night.

Sometimes when you have 3 strong singers and musicians it becomes overkill (a “too many cooks spoil the broth” situation). This is not the case with Pearl and the Beard. The three of them manage to come together in a way that seems all too natural and seamless. The Brooklyn trio met at open mic night, and the rest is history. It was a perfect fit, and it shines through in their performance.

PATB kicked off their set with “Sweetness”, one of the best tracks off of their 2011 release Killing The Darlings. This track really showcases one of the bands strong points. This band has a certain way of taking us to a quiet and somber place, and then lifting us up with a beautifully executed belt-out note, within a single song. “Sweetness” was also featured on our Valentine’s Day Mix Tape (download it for free here).

As mentioned earlier, peppered in to their setlist were 3 tracks by the individual band members (and friends). “Yawning”, “Waste”, and “A Thousand Thousands” were all surprisingly slower than I expected. I find that some of PATB’s best musical moments are when they really let loose and belt out. These were all sort of melodic and beautiful, but not what I was in the mood for. I wanted to dance, damnit! Of the three tracks, the standout for me was “Yawning”.

Don’t cry for me just yet, because I got my dancing wish. “Lost In Singapore”, a fantastic song for swaying, won my heart. Emily Hope Price effortlessly hit each note and every time I hear the song I’m taken away by the lyrics.

“Let’s sink our ships then explore the wreckage, save the souvenirs, and cash in the rest…Let’s go dancing and fall in love for the first time again.”

Continuing the dance party and abandoning their microphones, the trio stepped out towards the crowd to perform another crowd pleaser, “Douglas Douglass.” Now we’re talking! D.Ro and I can’t help but join in on the fun. You must have a frozen soul if you resisted stomping and clapping with the lot of us. The only downside was the stomps and claps drowned out their voices a bit, but we all had fun nonetheless.

PATB played a good mix of old and new. Some other tracks included “Reverend,” “40K,” “Prodigal Daughter,” and of course they closed with “Hot Volcano.” I would have really liked to hear “Slow Motion Machine Gun” (hint hint for next time) but I was pleased with the setlist overall.

All in all it was a great show.  With their powerful performance and their delightfully awkward banter between songs, I’m making it a point to catch them the next time around. And you should too.