Okkervil River

We had such a great time! Titus Andronicus, the opening band, was new to us and we LOVED them. And Okkervil River did not disappoint. We don't get to do this much, and we were so happy that the show was worth getting a sitter for the kids and getting home super late. : )

Opener Landlady was a great treat for an opener. Strong, innovative, adult (not xxx adult but grown up adult) music. They made me pull out my Pere Ubu for a listen and thats not a bad thing. Check them out. Headliners Okkervil River were transcendent. A great show in a great venue.

It was a great show! The venue was clean and well staffed. The sound was very good. It's an historic looking building but newly renovated. Okkervil was a great performance and played a lot of interesting interpretations of their songs. I'd recommend similar events to anyone interested.

Okkervil River was great. Tons of energy. Sound mix seemed off all night though -- waaaay too loud for the opening acts, it was unbearable to be anywhere near the stage and just didn't sound good.

Okkervil River killed it on Friday. They played a lot of the stuff from their new album as well as old staples like A Stone, Westfall and Red. You missed a great show. The only problem was the crowd, when the lead singer cleared the stage to sit down and do an acoustic "A Stone" no one would shut up so that the song could be heard. I have never seen a crowd that rude to the Band. Okkervil River if you read this I apologize for the Philadelphia fans. Please come back again and rock a show!

Okkervil River was amazing, they really pleased the crowd and got everyone moving

Such a great live performance...the live bands were questionable but OKKERVILLE rocked!!!

these guys rocked. one of my favorite bands and they sound amazing live. great stage presence and just overall good sound. My only problem: they rushed through the show. The didn't play enough songs and they only played one song for the encore before ditching, whereas they usually play 3. Other than that though, it rocked

my only gripe is how late okkervil river came on. I don't really see any reason for the main act coming on so late. Two opening bands I don't think was necessary.

The second opener kind of sucked, but the show was great. Will Sheff even did some modifications to the classics. It was well worth staying up late on a work night...

we could have done without bobby bare jr. but greatly appreciated the dan mangan performance, discovered a wonderful new artist and purchased his cd. okkervil river was very energetic, wish they would have played more from "dont fall in love with everyone you see."

I couldn't miss this rare opportunity to see one of my current favorite bands, and I wasn't disappointed. I consider the Crystal Ballroom to be one of THE WORST VENUES in town for anyone who wants to enjoy a great live music performance. Worse than usual was the fact that they had some 80s/techno music playing on a lower floor, and the bass was bleeding through during the entire show. Nonetheless, Okkervil River was fantastic. Lead singer WIll Sheff had a couple false starts and talked about being rusty at doing shows after taking time off to record 27 new songs for their upcoming album.

Once again the pyramid meets the eye, producing massive energy. Roky, backed by a very enthusiastic Okkervil River, put on an unforgettable show last night in Webster Hall, NYC. After years of waiting for this opportunity, I was not gonna miss it. That voice, so recognizable in chilling scream of Night of the Vampire, You're gonna Miss me, and others, but also in quieter form as True Love cast out all Evil. The pacing was good and the show went maybe 90 exuberant minutes. Minor technical difficulties on the house end and it also seemed at times that other acts were bleeding over (multi-use venue) or it could have just been low droning feedback intentional or otherwise. Generally the sound quality was appropriate. The lead guitarist (Lauren G?) did an especially great job with the material, rest of band smoking along too. Crowd liked the trumpet solo! Rock solid rhythm section and keyboards.

I guess my problem with this show is simply based on faulty expectations. Roky Erickson is a great musician, sure. Okkervil River is one of my absolute favorite bands. Together, what's not to like? On top of that, Okkervil's willingness to give Erickson a few really great shows is incredibly generous because with their energy, Erickson looks better than he has in decades. They played their hearts out and it was clear that Will Sheff, Lauren Gurgiolo, and, well, everyone was having an amazing time on stage. So what's the problem? Just that Roky Erickson's music isn't nearly as interesting or inspiring or well-written as Okkervil River's. He did a lot for music in his time, I'm sure, but his stage presence at this time in his life is more than a bit weak. He didn't look at the audience once the entire show and was barely audible while singing. Was the music good? Yes. But if Okkervil River is on stage, why don't they play a few of their own songs? Just one or two? I know, they're backing Roky Erickson. But he's not as good as they are and he doesn't have the presence they do. I know he's famous, but that doesn't mean much nowadays. So it was good. I just wish I'd been told that Okkervil wouldn't really be playing their own stuff at all.

Less rambling fire demon and more Okkervil River. Maybe it was the picture of Okkervil River next to the concert title, but I didn't go into this concert suspecting I'd have to listen to Roky Erickson sing his own songs AND Okkervil River's songs. This concert was not at all what I expected

The show started off with a wimper with a bland set by Bird of Youth. Yikes, how do mediocre bands like this get such amazing gigs? I was bored and the crowd was bored. I think this may have increased the excitement for Roky, though, because when he walked on stage, the place went wild. They opened with a bang by playing Night of the Vampire. Roky's voice is as good or better than it was when he first recorded this song. He seemed shy and let the lead singer of Okervill do most of the between song banter. Okervill was a great compliment to Roky's music - they made the songs fuller and more epic. The energy was fantastic. The setlist was a nice mix of classics and new songs. They played for a little over an hour and came back with one encore. My only complaint is that they didn't play my favorite song "The Wind and More".

I mainly attended this show because it had been so long since I'd been to the Fillmore. But I was really surprised at the energy Roky put into the show. Okkervil worked hard to be worthy accompanists, though some of the guitar playing could have been more anarchic, in '60s garage fashion. Still, they all rocked and I left the hallowed hall completely satisfied.

For anyone that knows the personal struggles that Roky Erickson has had to endure, its amazing that we are still graced with his presence and the opportunity to see him play. This man is a legend and revolutionized music as we know it today. His backing group, The Okkervil River Band, were brilliant. What an honor it must be to tour with such a music icon. Songs stretched from old 13th Floor Elevator cuts, to older Erickson solo tracks, to new songs of his latest album, and even some covers.

It was great to see Roky this well. it was my 4th time and he seemed most put together this time. Great seeing him in a larger venue like the Fillmor.

I was under the impression that Okkervil River would be playing Okkervil river songs! If youre going to this show for them - I'd recommend not going

Ever since I saw the documentary, (You're Gonna Miss Me) I wanted to see Roky Erickson perform. I was not disappointed. His band was great, & he was too! Great show!

I think that I should've probably looked at reviews of the concert before attending because though I knew that there would be a good amount of Roky songs in the performance, I also expected to hear some songs from OR. Unfortunately, it was all from Roky or their new album so I didn't hear any songs from OR. I was a little bit disappointed because I came cause of OR, but like I said, I should've read reviews of the show before getting tickets. The show rocked, but I could tell that I was not the only person in the audience that expected more songs from Will and the gang (disclaimer: I only stayed until the first song of the encore). Leslie and the Badgers performed right before and they did a great job. I'll have to keep an eye on them in the future.

Currently touring with Wilco, this Austin, TX band is actually one of my favorite finds over the last two years. Black Sheep Boy (and its "appendix"), Stage Names, and the Stand Ins are a phenomenal trio of albums that the band fully delivers on in their live shows. While I felt a recent solo show from lead singer Will Sheff (Cafe Du Nord, SF) meandered a bit into singer-songwriter self-indulgence for my tastes, here the band seems to serve well in keeping him focused enough on delivering a more cohesive and powerful set. Unfortunately over the past two years I've largely experienced Okkervil River touring via festivals and supporting other bands (plus a quick SXSW '08 set) so I've yet to see a full headlining show from them! However, judging from the reception they received from the Wilco fans at this particular show, the additional exposure is worth it. I wish them the best and will resign myself to support anything that brings more fans into the fold, but seriously guys! Headline an SF club already! At any rate, Wilco fans would be well advised to arrive on time for this current tour, lest ye miss an amazing group!

amazing show, great sound, kind staff. overall a really fun time.

Awesome performance at Bowery Ballroom Okkervil River performing Black Sheep Boy

Okkervil River is an amazing band and this show was no exception. Will opened with some acoustic songs from earlier albums, and some dialogue. It was perfect and intimate and wonderful. Then he brought out the band, who were fantastic. He even brought out Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater, who stayed for the duration of the set, and whose smile was infectious. Amazing show. So much energy and love.

This was a show I was really looking forward to my favorite indie band performing one of my favorite albums of theirs and playing in my favorite club. Black Sheep Boy is a concept album based on Tim Hardin s song of the same name. That album is what put Okkervil River on the map. rtb and I got tickets for the first night. Okkervil River sold out two nights and added a third night. As always, Kenny got us a table so when I ran into him upstairs I stopped to talk with him and didn t worry about getting to my table. rtb joined us and we had a fun conversation on what has been going on in Kenny s life. When rtb and I went to find our table we were confused. There was no table with my name on it. My guess? Someone took my name off one of the tables. On the other side of the balcony was the VIP section reserved for Okkervil friends and family only. One table was unmarked so we sat there (with Kenny s blessing) and lucky for us no one came to check to see if we had VIP badges. They weren t the best seats (I had to stand in order to see the stage) but we were lucky to be out of the push and pull of the sold-out crowd. Will Sheff (lead singer/guitar/harmonica) came out and did a solo set. He explained that these songs were sort of a lead-in into Black Sheep Boy as they were written at the same time but meant to be solo songs. After about three or four songs the rest of the band joined him. Sheff did introduce the band but I didn t get all the names some are long-time members and others are newer members. I can t find a list of the current line-up that I trust to be correct. One delightful surprise was the guest appearance of Jonathan Meiburg, who left the band some time ago to form Shearwater. All of the members are fantastic performers but there needs to be a special shout-out to the drummer who Sheff said is the best rock and roll drummer. I would say he is one of the best I ve ever heard and he had me dancing most of the night. Sheff wanted to perform a faithful reproduction of the album and he succeeded. We heard every note and sound effect found on the album but made better by the live energy. Sheff loves performing and the energy and love he gives to the audience and returned in kind. Sometimes, when I was sitting, I just closed my eyes and let the word imagery and music wash over me. In addition to the album the band performed the EP Black Sheep Boy Appendix and B-sides from the same time period. For Sheff, the audience feeds the performers and become part of the show. I feel so lucky to have been a part of this 10th anniversary tour.

Okkervil River made their first time in Indianapolis one to remember! The crowd was one of the smallest I've seen at Deluxe, but this did not affect the energy of the band one bit. They performed a great set and seemed so genuine. If they find their way to Indy again, I know I'll be first in line.

Okkervil River is exceptionally talented. Seeing their music live was thrilling and extremely enjoyable. I'd attend every one of their concerts if I could.

BJL & THe Honeybears are ferocious! My husband and I coined the term "Thrashfunk" to define their music as nothing else seemed appropriate. Gritty, raw, incredibly danceable and highly recommended. Okkerville River, not so much. I'd call them a soft version of the Lumineers, but don't want to drag down the Lumineers.

great gig....can't wait to see them in London in the next few weeks....

Great. A really fun show. Everyone was in really good voice.

Okkervil River were in full form for this last tour--at least, they were in the fullest form I've yet to see. OR felt like a real band that night, a full band, but they almost didn't feel like Okkervil River; it was almost as if it were: The Will Sheff Band plays most of their debut album, and throws in a few OR covers...you know, Will's former band. All of the above is mostly a good thing--new, unfamiliar, but good. I suppose this is somewhat an assessment of the new album, by virtue of the fact that OR's sound and dynamic has changed. I noticed more than a couple familiar band members from their last tour with Levon Helm, over a year ago, (we all know Sheff's lineup is subject to change) but there was one in particular who stuck out: Patrick Pestorius. Pat's been in the band since the Black Sheep Boy days, but mostly as a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. On this night, he was up, front and center, next to Sheff, with his own mic and even his own singing parts. For once, there was a prominent presence in the band other than Sheff--someone to fully partner up with. I'm willing to say he is the strongest secondary personality in the band since keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg left in the mid 2000's. Overall, the show as very good. The band played many songs from the new album, a few cuts from The Stage Names, and, surprisingly, nearly half of Black Sheep Boy, including the magnificent 10-minute-plus "So Come Back, I am Waiting." All of the songs were rocked-up, even "A Girl in Port," perhaps to find some middle ground with the mixed fanbase (hard-hitting show-stealers Titus Andronicus opened). Okkervil have always been grandiose, dating all the way back to "Westfall" (which, much to my chagrin, they did not play despite several shout-out requests), but there has always been a balanced mix of intimacy--something that, aside from the ever-changing lineup, really made OR Sheff's alias at the end of it all. Now we have a full, unified band--they've been touring and recording together for a bit, but on this night they seemed established. This was a welcome change--however, the act suffered slightly from the lack of trademark intimacy (the only solo song Sheff played was "A Stone," which was beautiful, captivating, and probably the best part of the set). In the last 15 minutes of the short, hour-long set, Sheff announced that the venue was going to kick them offstage is they went more than 3 minutes over their cutoff time; he apologized and made a pact with the audience: "Let's say fuck the encore and just barrel through as many songs as we can, what do you say?" It was remarkable. With an almost Olympic prowess, the band must've banged out at least 4 songs...back-to-back-to-back, etc, without pause. As I walked out of the venue, I still carried a semblance of esoteric connection with the band and its music.

I almost thought it was a dream because the band played so perfectly! Every one of my favorite songs were enthusiastically performed with perfect sound and instrumentation. Farbe it from me to admit that I cried a bit during "a girl in port" , but I feel the impulse to let people realize there is a band whose prose and melodies can evoke such emotion from the likes of me.

I reviewed them last when they toured with Roky Erickson and didn't play any of their own songs (it was my bad, I didn't know they'd just be playing as his backup band) so I knew that this would be an improvement. This time they played all of their songs and it was wonderful. They alternated between songs off the new album and old songs as well as fast and slow songs and did a great job. Will Sheff was amazing and it was incredible to hear him sing as well live as on their recordings. I highly recommend their show!

Okkervil River did a great job on stage. Their sound was good with a nice mix of old and new songs. Loved their performance of Westfall and some stuff from their new album, like Wake and Be Fine. The auditorium was packed.

Okkervil River was great and so was the 2nd opening band Titus Andronicus (missed the 1st opening act). The sound for both bands was tremendous (better than other times I've seen them) - particularly Will Sheff's voice. And there was great energy from both the bands and the crowd.

The band played a little bit for everyone from all stages of their career. Absolutely fantastic show. Loved it. Although could've done w/o opening act. Not a fan.

Okkervil River was worth the three hour drive and some. They were everything I was hoping for and more. I'd recommend their show to anyone who has the slightest interest in the band.

While Okkervil River was the headlining act, Titus Andronicus stole the show. Their set was a 50-minute long mosh pit that I was right in the middle of. Their set was the best I've ever seen. Future Islands, who opened for Titus, also played with intense energy. The singer slapped himself between songs and showered the audience in his sweat while an ambient but intense backing track accompanied his charismatic approach to the stage. Okkervil River, who I had never heard, played very well. I moved to the back to let the real fans get the good standing area, but considered moving back up there a few songs in. The only reason I didn't was that I had bought an LP and didn't want to lose or break it.

excellent show. you need to see these guys in concert

High energy, sounded great. Okkervil played a 2-hour+ set. Epic.

Great show, one of the better I've seen in NYC. The band wanted to play longer but Term 5 stopped them at 11p. Term takes a lot of crap for its acoustics, but they're fine as long as your on the main floor and not underneath a low ceiling area.

This was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. The venue in my opinion was nice, and I managed to get a spot right in front of the stage once the doors opened. First up came Future Islands, whose act was a memorable one. I was amazed at Sams stage presence, skulking about the stage like a feral animal. He even appeared to gag himself at one point. Next up came Titus Andronicus, who put on a show I wont soon forget. The band never slowed down and had the crowd going the entire time. I was enthralled. Best performance I think I've seen. Finally came Okkervil River, who played an excellent setlist and had the crowd just as involved as Titus had. Will played an awesome acoustic rendition of A Stone and many others. Sadly, their show got cut short by the 11 PM curfew, and couldnt complete the entire set. Nonetheless, this was probably the best show I've seen. That may not mean much to some, but take my word for it. It was amazing.

The okkervil are just amazing! The band played for almost two hours and they really rocked.

Awesome show from all three bands. I'm a new fan of Future Islands and Titus Andronicus, and I continue to love Okkervil! The show ended prematurely, though.

3 awesome bands for $30 was incredible, great energy, great venue, need more similar concerts

They played a great variety of songs, and played two for an encore. A good mix from their last for albums, mostly I Am Very Far, Black Sheep Boy, and The Stage Names. The solo playing of A Stone was just amazing, and I couldn't believe they played "So Come Back, I am Waiting" My only complaint was that I could barely hear the trumpet and violin. This seems to be true every time I see a band with violin and trumpet. I think in general shows are mixed way too loud, and our ears just blend everything together.

All bands were amazing. Show was pushed back an hour due to Okkervil River's tour bus breaking down. Titus Andronicus's energy was unbelievable. Okkervil River's skills and emotions were amazing. Future Islands had one of the best vocalist/non-instrumentalist performances I'd ever seen.

The concert was really fun when they play their more upbeat stuff, particularly Lost Coastlines, Unless It's Kicks, and Black. I am not a fan of their new album so perhaps those who do like it, probably liked the show better than I did. Although I can't imagine anyone liked that one slow song from the new album that went on for 20 minutes. It was like listening to a jam band that isn't jamming. If it wasn't for that song, I would have given them 4 stars.

First time I had seen this band live. The music was great, none of the usual letdown of recorded sound vs. live, and the band's positive vibe on-stage was projected through the crowd. First class experience

We loved it. Great show, great band, cool venue. We all had an amazing time.

So I swore that I would never set foot in Terminal 5 again. With the exception of there being someone I really wanted to see. And Okkervil River is one of those bands. The show was not sold out and based on the very small group on the roof deck waiting for the club doors to open I was afraid that Okkervil River would be playing to a small house. (By the way, if you do go to this club, check out the roof deck and have a delicious taco.) The advantage of the small crowd was that rtb and I were able to snag the good spot on the second level just above the stage. The floor was half empty for the first opening act and filled up for the second opening act when violaleeblue showed up. None of the bands were terribly loud and I was comfortable even with the array right above me. The vocals were the most clear I d ever heard them in this club, although they got muddier the more instruments you added. Future Islands had set up their own speakers on stage, which was a bit strange. There s a lead singer, bassist, keyboard/effects player and they are (in no particular order since I can t find identification) William Cashion, Samuel T. Herring, and J. Gerrit Welmers. The singer was a bit of a trip. He d hit himself in the head and dance around and emote and was all over the place. His vocals for some of the songs would start out with the heavy metal Cookie Monster growl and then he d go into a Flock of Seagulls voice. The music was definitely New Wave (they call it Post Wave) and would not be out of place in most of the dance clubs I hung out in in my 20s. Their fans were singing along with the arm movements and shouting and emoting and they are welcome to the band because I don t want them. I saw Titus Andronicus open for Lucero in April 2009 and I wasn t impressed then and I can t say they changed my mind much this time around. Since then they ve added Amy Klein on electric guitar and electric violin but the sound is still old-school punk (now with some Irish punk leanings) and nothing that I haven t heard better before. The rest of the band is Ian Graetzer on bass, Eric Harm on drums, David Robbins on keyboards and guitar and Patrick Stickles yelling on vocals and guitar. They re from New Jersey plus they are supposed to be the next big thing so there were plenty of fans in the house singing along and moshing violently downstairs. Okkervil River is Will Sheff (lead vocals, guitar), Lauren Gurgiolo (guitar, lap steel guitar, very short skirts), Michael St. Clair (keyboards, horns), Cully Symington (drums), Patrick Pestorious (bass), and Justin Sherburn (keyboards, guitar). This is the third time I ve seen them headline they also opened for Levon Helm in the same space a year and a half ago and was the band for Roky Erickson last year. The first time I saw them was a month after ACL 2008 where rtb saw them and I saw her right after and she was still flush with excitement. As usual, Sheff and Pestorious looked like they were having the time of lives and the rest of the band worked incredibly hard. All of them are great musicians but Symington stands out for me as a particularly wonderful drummer. It was a little slow when they played some of the new songs but the crowd was still singing along for most and they even moshed at the end of the night when Sheff had us jumping and dancing and clapping. For So Come Back, I Am Waiting Sheff had the stage darkened and the poster on the back of the stage was back-lit and a village showed up between the two wolves. If you're buying the new cd, you should buy the cd itself and not download it. The artwork is really nicely done as is the booklet. There were a few technical glitches at the start but never a complaint. Sheff was using a second mic for vocal effects and it added an interesting layer to a lot of the songs also he could scream once and then have it repeat without further burning out his throat (he s had problems because he screams and doesn t do it correctly I ll teach you how to scream and not ruin your voice, Will!) One thing that made me laugh was Pestorious set list he had written it out on a piece of paper that had been pointing to a trash can. The club has a 11:00pm curfew and at 10:45pm, their monitor guy informed them so Sheff said there would be no encore and they would just continue playing. The band brought it and more and at the end Sheff threw his mic stand off the stage and was down on his knees playing to the rock and roll gods.