On April 8 Jose Gonzalez made his solo return to New York City for a sold out performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg. It wasn’t so much a show, but rather a spiritual journey that took his fans to a much more special place in both their heads and hearts. The stop was the first of a two night New York run (Webster Hall came two nights later) in support of his new album Vestiges & Claws, out now via Mute Records.
Icelandic singer Olof Arnalds kicked off the night with a wonderfully charming set of dream-laden folk rock. Her unique set of otherworldly vocals allow her to truly stand out and make an instant impression on you. This served as my introduction to Arnalds music, but with a four album discography expanding all the way to 2007, there’s still plenty of discovery to be made. Based on what I heard from her opening set, she’s certainly worth making that extra effort for.
I can’t imagine anyone not being touched by Jose Gonzalez’s music in some way. There’s such a universality to it that is so approachable on a human level. The way that his gorgeous harmonies and arrangements are put on full display live is a thing of beauty, and to see it unfold in such a intimate venue like Music Hall of Williamsburg allows you as an audience member to connect with it even more. There wasn’t much said between Gonzalez or even the wonderfully attentive Brooklyn audience, aside from cheers and Gonzalez’s introduction of his bandmates, who were not only confined to their instruments, but also took turns switching off and picking up a clarinet or xylophone when it called for it, or adding additional vocals to make the performance that much more formidable.
Much of the set was taken from Vestiges & Claws, but Gonzalez stretched back to favorites from all his album, including a three-set solo performance of “Crosses,” “Hints,” and “The Nest.” He also performed a fair share of covers, including Arthur Russell’s “This Is How We Walk On The Moon” and Massive Attack’s “Teardrop.” An unexpected highlight of the show came when Gonzalez let live bandmate Barbarossa sing one of his own songs, a haunting number called “Home.”
Gonzalez saved the best for laugh, starting the 2-song encore performance with his beloved cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats.” The lovely finish of “Leaf Off/The Cave” garned one of the biggest sing-along’s of the night, sending everyone home with a lasting impression.
Jose Gonzalez Setlist:
1. Afterglow
2. Stories We Build, Stories We Tell
3. Kill For Love
4. Let It Carry You
5. Hand On Your Heart
6. Every Age
7. Stay In The Shade
8. With The Ink Of A Ghost
9. Crosses (Solo)
10. Hints (Solo)
11. The Nest (Solo)
12. What Will
13. Home (sung by Barbarossa)
14. This Is How We Walk On The Moon (Arthur Russell Cover)
15. Teardrop (Massive Attack Cover)
16. Always
17. Cycling Trivialities
Encore:
18. Heartbeats (The Knife Cover)
19. Leaf Off/The Cave
Olof Arnalds:
Jose Gonzalez:
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