#weird bangs

Shaggy hair, weird little bangs, unkept beard, boho necklace, chest hair visible, home-cut shorts over the most adorable legs since his wife, white socks and Chucks that belong to the Smithsonian.

      There are musicians who perform solely to satisfy their ego. This makes up the majority of performers you will end up seeing. And then there are those in the small minority who perform because they must. Watching Eleanor Friedberger perform makes it clearly apparent that she falls into the latter. Unfortunately for her, the weight created by her work with brother Matt in The Fiery Furnaces might give off the impression that anything she would make outside of that project would be equally enigmatic and obtuse. Such an assumption would be made in error, as Eleanor Friedberger seems to be more concerned with accessibility and familiarity through undeniable tenderness and sensitivity. And now her time has come to let it out, as she is finally setting out to perform a delicate set of songs to support of her first solo album, Last Summer. The show brought out a small, dedicated crowd to Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia. With no opener for the night, Eleanor Friedberger was able to gracefully establish a cozy level of comfort with the crowd early on, which was easily maintained over the course of her hour long set.

        Eleanor Friedberger and her backing band, presumably pulled together for this short tour, had a very clean performance, both in presentation and content. Eleanor Friedberger's band is best described as straight, conventional Americana. The band's set up, a standard four-piece of lead and rhythm guitar, bass and drums, lends itself to no-frills rock, with a predictability that never goes beyond what you might expect. Some might read that to describe something bland and repetitive. Instead what occurred was a performance dripping with thoughtfulness of expression and the sincerity of a woman who has something to say and isn't afraid to find the appropriate way to say it.         The band's stage presence was demure and reserved, yet expressive in subtle ways. You can tell a lot about a band by what they wear: the lead guitarist, in clean white pants; the bassist, in complimentary seer-suckers; the drummer, who wore a Jeff the Brotherhood white tee, and Eleanor Friedberger herself, who wore a classy button-down with ornamental patchwork near her collarbones. Even Eleanor's forest green Gibson (which she confessed belonged to her brother) seemed almost too appropriate. Their demeanor and attitude complimented their performance: down to earth, never ostentatious, honest and casual. In short: personable.         The show, held one day before the release of her album Last Summer, had an atmosphere of intimacy which matches perfectly with her musical themes and lyrical sentiments. Each song allowed Eleanor to open herself up to a receptive crowed who seemed ready and willing to take in what she had to offer. Many in the crowd seemed familiar with her past work, which definitely helped her push through set. That said, room was left for those new to her music, making it easy to feel connected to her personal confessions.         Eleanor seems to recognize her position as being able to only be herself on stage, which allowed her to maneuver back and forth between newer songs and reworked renditions of older ones. This went as far back as a song she wrote when she was only 19 years old, as well as a number from her time performing with The Fiery Furnaces. Along with these, she performed a handful of songs from Last Summer, including "My Mistake," "In of the Seventh Ray," and album closer "Early Earthquake."         In the end, Eleanor Friedberger might not see her shows bring sold out crowds in the immediate future. That said, those who decide to see her perform will not be disappointed, and may even walk away with a warm feeling inside. If consistency makes for comfort, you can find solace in her candor — a quality not frequently seen in live music today.