Cursive + Ramona Córdova - The Barbary (Philadelphia, PA; Jan. 20, 2009)

Chattering and freezing, a lucky chunk of Cursive’s Philly fanbase stood bundled up outside Fishtown’s Barbary, anticipating an evening with one of Saddle Creek’s finest. Held at one of r5 Productions’ smaller venues, the very sold out show started off with the coy and charming Ramona Córdova. A suspender-wearing troubadour, Córdova took the stage around 7:00, greeting the crowd and commenting on the weather and his distaste for winter and the flu. With guitar in hand, Córdova played three fairytale-esque tunes about a boy named Giver who washes ashore, befriends gypsies, and (of course) falls in love. Done in a melodic folky falsetto similar to Devendra Banhart, the second half of his set featured both newer and partially written tracks, accompanied by in-depth explanations for their narratives and sound. Gregarious and polite, Córdova’s final song before his exit struck a universal chord with the audience, rendering the chattering crowd silent and mesmerized. Sincerely thanking those in attendance, Córdova left the stage while the crowd shifted and inched closer, impatiently awaiting Cursive’s entrance, their ears itching to hear Kasher’s angsty anthems.

Filing onto stage around 7:30ish, Omaha’s Cursive was greeted by cheers and small eruptions of applause before bursting into the sultry cynicism of Ugly Organ’s “Gentleman Caller.” Perhaps enhanced by the venue’s intimate setting or the crowd’s eagerness, the opener quickly turned into a sing-a-long, including raised fists and low key slam dancing. Wishing Philly fans a Happy Inauguration Day, Kasher then spewed out the catchy lines to Happy Hollow’s “Dorothy At Forty,” the prophetically relevant retelling of the American dream. Frenetically demanding “Dorothy wake up,” Kasher’s screaming vocals meshed fittingly with wailing horns and guitar riffs, later followed by the yet-to-be-released “From the Hips.” Set to appear on their forthcoming album Mama, I’m Swollen, which is scheduled for this Spring, “From the Hips” played out lewd and visceral, ironically forward in its candid depiction of attraction, love, and lust. Fans tapped their feet to the rhythm while tiny smiles collectively spread across the crowd, relieved that Cursive’s talent has waxed rather than waned. Soon after the provocative lines of “From the Hips” ceased, Domestica’s familiar intro to “Making Friends & Acquaintances” rang out, inciting a giddy gratefulness, expressed by cheers and a shout out of the song’s disillusioned lines. Next, Kasher cried out the impassioned “Sierra” which led into the brutish new “Caveman.” Having played the latest from their Saddle Creek recordings, Kasher and his bandmates used the art of deconstruction in place of their standard intro for the well loved opening track to 2001’s Burst and Bloom. Ugly Organ’s “The Recluse” and Happy Hollow’s carpe diem, anti-religious “Rise Up, Rise Up” premised the new and decadently devious confessional “Mama, I’m Satan.”

Flaunting a tiny scrap of notebook paper, Kasher skipped out on the traditional pre-encore exit, assuring the crowd more was to come. Written on what he referred to as the “top secret list,” Kasher and his crew rocked the Barbary’s interior with one of their oldest anthems, “A Disruption In the Normal Swing Of Things.” Again, the crowd went wild and joined in chanting the song’s latter lines back at the stage. The band’s lengthy encore included old faves like “Art Is Hard” and their upcoming album’s title track “Mama, I’m Swollen.” Ending with the epically cataclysmic “Red Handed Sleight of Hand,” Kasher, grinning ear to ear, thanked the applauding and cheering crowd before abandoning the stage with his just-as-happy bandmates by his side.

Setlist:
gentleman caller
dorothy at forty
from the hips
making friends & acquaintances
sierra
caveman
sink to the beat
the recluse
rise up, rise up
mama, i’m satan
a disruption in the normal swing of things
art is hard
i couldn’t love you
big bang
the casualty
mama, i’m swollen
red handed sleight of hand

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