Live at Town Hall
Label: Vagrant
Rated: NONE
WorkNameSort: Live at Town Hall
I’m not sure why this is being released, but I’m glad it is. I guess the Eels cult is growing in size and fanaticism. Eels’ 2005 studio double CD Blinking Lights and Other Revelations was my favorite of the year, so hearing the highlights rehashed live with a string section (“I’m Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn’t Break Your Heart” is without peer) alongside other career high points (“It’s a Motherfucker,” “Novocaine for the Soul”) and spiffy covers of the Left Banke’s “Pretty Ballerina” and Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” is something a fan will immediately enjoy. It’s being released as a live CD with four songs not on the live DVD, which includes eight songs not on the CD. You’re best off purchasing both, since watching a seven-piece weave this ethereal sound is every bit as revelatory as hearing Mark Oliver Everett sing these songs of human resilience in the face of increasing cynicism.
This article appears in Feb 22-28, 2006.