CBGB Festival: Grizzly Bear
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Set List
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CBGB and Times Square is an odd pairing, but they made it work. The event ran smoothly and actually made a usually extremely crowded part of Manhattan bearable. With local food vendors, a rock wall, a small half-pipe for skateboarders, and other vendors, CBGB split their free concert to two stages, one at the 47th Street end of Broadway and the other at 53rd Street where Grizzly Bear performed early evening right next to the Ed Sullivan Theater where the Late Show with David Letterman is recorded.
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Photo of set list
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Grizzly Bear’s set was in the later half of the day, after bands like The Wallflowers and Lisa Loeb played in the morning/early afternoon. LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy’s DJ set started half an hour before GB at the 47th Street stage, attracting a good amount of fans, but Grizzly Bear had no problem getting their own audience at least 500 listeners. Their set included songs from all three albums, Yellow House, Veckatimest, and Shields. Well-known single, “Two Weeks,” was especially well received with enthusiastic applause when the song’s easily recognizable keyboard high-notes started off.
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Ed Droste
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Playing in Times Square, though unique, brings a lot of distractions, as pointed out by band member Ed Droste who apologized if his eyes wandered, looking at the bright LED advertisements all around. Grizzly Bear was able to keep their audience focused on them, though, with their incredibly well harmonized vocals and entrancing music. Every so often a puff of smoke would rise to the air from someone in the crowd, sometimes tobacco, sometimes your friendly Aunt Mary, making it seem like a typical festival, but then Angelo’s Pizza would flash right next to the stage, reminding you that you are in the heart of the concrete jungle. CBGB definitely brought on a distinct festival to New York.
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Grizzly Bear at CBGB Times Square, New York (10/12/13) |