The Loom - The Delancey (New York, NY; Mar. 6, 2010)

There’s an apprehension that comes with reviewing the concert of a band you like on a personal level. It’s a feeling that fills you with dread, the potential my-friend-just-got-a-terrible-haircut situation--cringe-worthy on the inside but necessitating external praise. Such was my apprehension going to see the Loom at The Delancey on Saturday night. I love the band’s recorded music. The band members are friendly and nice. I’d been looking forward to the show for weeks. To be blunt, what if it sucked?

Luckily, it only took about thirty seconds of the Loom’s live show to erase any such concern. Drawing largely from their as-yet unreleased LP Teeth, the show was stellar from start to finish. The six-piece band played up their rock side without sacrificing their folk roots, creating a wonderfully organic blend that was infectious in the best form of the word.

Throughout the nine-song set, the Loom put their versatility on display. At times, like on “The Middle Distance,” they rode syncopated drums and trumpets with tangible urgency. On “Song for the Winter Sun,” they stripped down to only the most necessary parts, three drums and a ukulele doing most of the lifting. On the beautiful “Helen,” it was tough not to hear notes of sea shanty and lament mixing in John Fanning and Sydney Price’s vocals.

I spoke with Fanning a month or so ago, and he noted that the band’s interesting composition--songs feature, among other things, French horn, banjo, ukulele, and trumpet--allows the Loom to make interesting sonic decisions both on record and in concert. “It’s nice to know,” he said, “that if I have an idea, it can actually come to life.” I can’t think of a better way to describe the Loom’s live show; it brings music to life in a rich, textured way that feels utterly real.

In many ways, Saturday night felt like a bit of a send-off, a crowd filled with familiar faces wishing bon voyage to The Loom, who embark next week to play eight shows in four days at SXSW in Austin. It was one of those concerts that felt as much like a collaboration as a performance, each member of the audience familiar with the band’s music if not the band members themselves. At the end of “Song For The Winter Sun,” Fanning led the audience in a sing-along that struck that point home, voices in the crowd singing confidently and drowning out the band. It was a cozy hometown affair if ever there was one in New York City. You get the feeling that these small shows are not the end of the road for the Loom, though; their newer songs pack a punch that begs to be noticed.

“As always, this has gone by too fast,” said Fanning toward the end of the set, and I had to agree. The final song of the evening, “A Song Of Faint Praise,” was beautiful, the sort of song that fills your chest to the point of bursting. As it swelled to its culmination, I couldn’t help wishing for more--I need something to let me down slowly. But I suppose that will have to wait for next time. And there will most certainly be a next time.

Set List:
With Legs
The Middle Distance
The Curtain Calls
Song For The Winter Sun
For The Hooves That Gallop And The Heels That March
Helen
True Believers All
In Your Doldrums
A Song Of Faint Praise

DOWNLOAD: The Loom - Song For The Winter Sun (MP3) or Follow us for more The Loom MP3s (Twitter)

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