Fleet Foxes @ Webster Hall - NYC

Pogonophilia was alive and well last night! Fleet Foxes folked things up hardcore at their second NYC show, much to the delight of some pretty enthusiastic fans. The Seattle quintet describes their music as "baroque harmonic pop jams." Yeah, I just call it "awesome." Playing tracks off the Sun Giant EP as well as their eponymous debut, lead singer Robin Pecknold and company entertained with some of the most gorgeous vocal harmony I've heard in a while. Their records are undeniably good, but seeing it live is a whole 'nother level of musical genius. After their set, I seriously wanted to gallop off into the Seattle sunset on a horse (with no name).

The music was flawless as the vocals were impeccable. Even the stage lighting was elegant-- they had a backdrop that resembled a starry night sky, joking that "New Yorkers deserve one night of actually being able to see them" (hey!). Pecknold ripped on The Big Apple a few times, but then made it up by telling us how much they love stopping here on tour. Hilarity ensued when a loud fan inquired how he spent his day; he regaled us with stories about exploring Williamsburg, Brooklyn (everyone smiled/giggled, of course) and the fancy coffee he sipped there. He then rhetorically asked questions about the who's/what's that invented complicated coffee flavors and why it was so damn hard to find simple java. This is NYC, so of course rhetorical questions never go unanswered. A smartass fan in the audience shouted "Blame Seattle for that!" and we all busted out laughing, as Pecknold smiled and said "touche."

The witty banter amongst the band and with the audience only enhanced their great live performance. They even showed off an awesome new track, "Silver City," and Pecknold sweetly begged, "Don't put it up on YouTube, it's not finished yet." They played for about an hour and a half (to make up for no encore...what?!) and informed the crowd they're heading back to Seattle to record their new album. They won't be touring again for some time, so I highly recommend catching them while you still can. Until then...