Sun Kil Moon

I've seen him many times, and for me, this was his most artistic performance. He was as comedic as ever, but without being outright caustic. He looked healthier than the last few times I've seen him (Warsaw), and his voice was resonant and powerful. I loved the string section. A cello and two violins are a perfect ensemble for Mark's voice. The melancholy of the cello with the high strains of the violins are great additions. Cannot beat the venue, Towne Hall; not a bad seat in the house. (Can get "loud" though) Thanks for a great show.

Sun Kill Moon was an incredible experience. It was such a fun blast to see him play his songs like and everyone that was assembled for the show was perfectly on point. He was even kind enough to sign my vinyl record that I bought there which I will never let go of.

Lead read from a note pad most of the night which was unexpected. Not my kind of music but the crowed seemed to enjoy it, or at least didn't violently object to it.

Mark Kozelek is the real deal - an intense, introspective poet of quality and strength. On this tour, he's teamed up with Justin Brodrick - Jesu - and a strong band. I was taken by the intensity and the punch of Mark's poetic streams. He's a deeply personal songwriter and holds little (nothing) back. My own take was that I could have done with more Mark and less Jesu. I found the music was not up to the words and ended up harsh and repetitive for me.

Always pushes boundaries with his music and shows. Challenges his audience's expectations. There were chilling moments and certain arrangements were delightful ("Micheline," "Birds of Flims," and "Alesund" come to mind).

The stage was dimly lit, you could not see the other musicians clearly. Mark complained about his band, his foot, the audience, he seemed odd. The songs, with the exception of the two opening songs, sounded like spoken word with the band trying to back him up. I heard no songs I recognized, but I am a rather new fan. It was an overall bad show in my opinion.

I gotta love these reviews. Yes, at the Town Hall show Moon River was a really shaky start, but redeemed immediately with humor. And the duet with Suzy on I Got You, Babe was a goofy misstep. But I truly don't know how you don't just marvel at the rest. Nobody doing what he's doing now, and between the songs and the band there were multiple hair standing on end moments. I didn't take his not playing his "hits" as mocking at all, it was lighthearted and more like, nah, nah, we're not playing x, y or z. Awesome show, and he gave it all over 2 and 1/2 hours.

I like his acoustic stuff a lot. He did not do any acoustic stuff and in fact barely played any guitar at all. The low point of the night was when he sang Bring in the Clowns. I am sorry, with a portfolio of his own material that is extensive, there is no need to play standards like that. As expected, he got a little upset with anyone who was caught talking loudly in the crowd. Would never go to see him again unless it was solo

Mark continues to evolve, and his stage presence was gripping tonight. Good balance of new and less new material. 2 and 1/2 hours of performance!

Lets see.. could it be that there was no set list and Mark was picking the songs seemingly at Whim? Could it be his outright refusal to play his "hit" songs and mock the audience for requesting them? Could it be that he started songs over again, when not happy with how they started? Or could it be my lest favorite part of the evening, a duet with his friend "suzy", an untrained singer/layperson of "I got you babe". I was really looking forward to this show, for months, and really disappointed. I expected more. He should have cut down on the wine (nice touch, chugging from a bottle on stage) and worked harder on a set list for those of us who paid to see him play. The covers were nice - although I was hoping for a Modest Mouse cover to be honest

Mark is a musical genius. His direction of the songs and how his art is crafted and played for the audience was like something I have never seen. His guiding of his band and concern for how each song was being played was refreshing. We basically watched an artist create on stage. I will see him again when he comes back to NY and I can not wait.

Didn't enjoy the show. They mostly played songs from the last couple of albums so listen to them before you buy tickets. The songs don't have a melody and the lyrics are like a diary of Mark's day with a focus on who's died recently. He doesn't really sing, it's more like folk-rap. Lot of people left the show early. Wish I had.

Show was supposed to start at 8:00. Band shows up at 8:40. At a bar venue that would be fine, expected. But not a seated venue. Opened with a couple classics (send in the clowns) which I liked but then it was downhill. Mumbling, shouting, always a step behind. Thought he was drunk the way he slurred his words. I'm still a fan of Kozelek.

Mark Kozelek is one the country's most important artistic voices and having him visit Portland was a major event. Great to see him working through part the esthetic he's developed over two decades.

Mark was very good. His banter made the show even better. He gave me sixty bucks on stage and didn't ask for it back.

What an awesome show. I was actually a little nervous because I had read about how cranky Mark Kozelek can be. Sure enough he came out and immediately complained about how cold it was and then scolded someone offstage to "close that fucking door." But it was quickly apparent that this is his schtick and it's not entirely serious. He and the band were incredible, playing his intricate arrangements flawlessly. His live performing is raw, powerful and inspirational. His stories between songs are hilarious but he's definitely not PC so I could see some being offended. I love that he demands attention from the audience with lots of posters at the entrance saying we must turn off our phones and no pictures or filming. The crowd complied for the most part except on one quiet song where for some reason people started talking so he stopped the song and asked "did a sign just go on over my head that says TALK?" Even that was taken in good humor by the crowd and he appreciated that. Seeing the crowd "got it" he really played hard and long, and went for two and half hours. He even played Modest Mouse's "Tiny Cities" after a request from the audience....he had to teach the band how to play it for a couple minutes and then they delivered a great version of it. Best show I've seen in a long time.

First off, let me say I LOVE Mark's work and have since the mid 90's when Red House Painters first made the scene. The Sun Kil Moon material picks up where RHP left off, and I could see signs of Mark going in a more 'country' 'americana' direction even before the end of that first incarnation. There are beautiful gems to be found in the SKM catalogue, and I recommend people take some time with the material to discover them. The evening proceeded as I thought it might...a fairly spare set up with Mark on his classical guitar, a drummer, and electric guitarist and a keyboard player. My biggest gripe about the sound was that Mark had TOO much reverb on his voice. I'm sure that's the way he wanted it, but my feeling is that extra 'gloss' clouded his preternaturally beautiful vocals. The reverb rendered his voice overly echo-y, and a lot of what he was singing was lost, which is a damn shame, because you really do wanna hear what he's saying. The band was tight, and his guitar work was exceptional, and despite the reverb gloss, the over-all feeling created by the evening was that of serene calm. My girlfriend and I both had smiles on our face all concert long owing to how special the nights music felt. But then there is also Mark's in-between stories and asides to contend with. Mark s a bit of a raconteur, and his stories usually have a humorous bent to them, but at moments I thought he was a little HARSH...like when he beefed out crowd members for DARING to call out song titles that they really wanted to hear. Part of his charm? Maybe Mark's irascible attitude makes him who he is, but do his adoring fans really need to reprimanded for yelling out song titles the just love? This little tantrums weren't enough to erase the over-all magical feeling the evening held for me, and maybe the show wouldn't have been the same without it...just food for thought Mark! Having said all of that, I would certainly go to see him again.

Mark Kozelek is a crabby old man, which makes it all part of his appeal. In between songs, his banter consists of apologizing how fat he's gotten, criticizing fans for yelling out song requests, pointing out how some guy in the front row reminds him of his agent because both are Jewish-looking, and saying how it makes him sad to see an empty front row seat. He starts and stops his band at times, telling them they are going too fast and need to slow the tempo down, or they messed up the beginning of the song and need to start over. The set list didn't contain the best of the Sun Kil Moon library, consisting of mostly the last 2 albums or so, which I believe is some of the weakest of Kozelek's songwriting. At times the songs seemed tight and well-rehearsed and sounded wonderful; at other times Kozelek's voice drowned out the rest of the band and I started feeling sleepy.

Really great. Mark et al killed. Only issue was sometimes the levels of the reverb - couldn't understand what he was saying during songs.

$50 is a lot of money and 2 hours is a long time to hear a singer-songwriter stuck so deep in a reverb well that you can't make out a single lyric. SUN KIL MOON is not a band that people come to dance to (this is obviously known because the performances are in seated theaters), audiences are moved by the poetry and lyrical narratives -- so if we can't make out a single lyric for 2 hours, that is a huge fail.

Great playlist. Mark Kozalek is hilarious between songs. Other musicians terrific. Only issue was the sound. Not sure if the problem was Town Hall acoustics or too much reverb on Mark's voice. In the end, didn't matter though, because I'd love these songs no matter what the sound quality.

Wonderful venue. Kozelek and Sun Kil Moon's music sounded incredible. Tremendous show.

It is an amazing venue, the synagogue. Mark wasn't digging it, airing issues with his sound man, mistreating him publicly. The mike was messed up, but the songs they played are beautiful, and I would consider seeing them again. Not a happy performer in general. Gripes a lot, seemingly dissatisfied with being on the road? Not sure. Hope he enjoys Newport!

His guitar was out of time the whole time and I couldn't understand his mumbles.