You’d think that when a band plays the first of two sold-out dates in its hometown, the crowd would be with them every step of the way. But that wasn’t necessarily the case at TV On The Radio’s show last night at the Brooklyn Masonic Hall. Perhaps the culprit was the unfamiliarity with the songs on the band’s excellent third album, Dear Science? Maybe everyone was still distracted from the onslaught of bad economic news? Or was it’s because the band’s songs in 6/8 don’t exactly engage you to boogie. Whatever the case, the audience didn’t give it up easily, despite the fact that TVOTR played their hearts out. The quintet, who was accompanied by a four-piece horn section, opened with “Halfway Home,” a brooding clash of dreamy pads and careening beats galvanized by singer Tunde Adebimpe’s sublime falsetto. Adebimpe’s frantic rap was again at the center of “Dancing Choose,” an uptempo number laced with horns and a subliminal underbelly of pop. When they launched into the party-perfect funkfest “Golden Age,” they finally elicited the response they so rightfully deserved. “Clap your hands if you think you’re in the right place,” cooed Adebimpe. And everyone did. For that fleeting moment, everything was finally in its right place.
Words & images: Darren Ressler
