Dan Black Live, A Week Later

This time last week I was watching Dan Black at the Mercury Lounge. We held back from running a review of the show till now, mainly because we wondered if my view would change after the post-gig excitement wore off.

It hasn’t.

Dan Black is a brilliant musician and producer. And he delivers live.

At the Merc show, he launched straight into a rousing version of ‘Pump My Pumps,’ one of the strongest tracks on debut album ‘((un))’. It outlined the pace for the night – pulsing, with a few tender moments before coming back full force.

The addition of Black’s touring musicians, a bassist and guitarist, added a lot to the depth of songs. ‘Symphonies’ in particular benefited from this treatment, with tighter beats and even more intensity than the album version. The musicianship was tight and vocally Black was spot on.

In performing, he held nothing back. Clad in a few lines of bright paint on the side of each eye and a necklace of white plastic skulls, he leapt about the small stage as he delivered each song. Set closer ‘Yours’ was a highlight, as was the encore of an extended version of ‘I Love Life.’

Of his recent ‘Weird Science’ mixtape – which features six creations in the style of his Rihanna/Biggie mash-up ‘HYPNTZ’ – he played ‘Pass That Head Noize,’ a cover of Missy Elliott’s ‘Pass That Dutch.’

The crowd was vocal during the show – from one fan demanding to know why he didn’t reply to her tweets on Twitter to another few who repeatedly asked him to play ‘Let Go’ – provoking a few wry responses from Black.

Dan Black proved himself at the sold-out Mercury Lounge last Thursday night, not that he particularly needed to. But in performing that set in the way he did, he showed he’s more than just the guy who mashed up Biggie and Rihanna. He’s a talented all-around wonder. And that won’t change, regardless of how long we wait to post this…

Dan Black’s Set List:
Pump My Pumps
U + Me =
Wonder
Ecstasy
Alone
Symphonies
Pass That Head Noize
Yours
/I Love Life

http://www.danblacksound.com/
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