Grouper played Town Hall (Night 2)

Grouper's second night in a row at New York's Town Hall was a moving and mesmerizing experience.

The music that Liz Harris records as Grouper (and some of her other work as well) can definitely be a stretch for some. Slow, ambient, droning sounds that can comprise lone piano, acoustic guitar, reverb-drenched vocals, and even textured field recordings don't strike a nerve for all, but for those who are moved by the music of Grouper, listening to it can lead to an extremely transcendent feeling and seeing her live is a whole other experience of profound audio nourishment, enriching and captivating. Bathed in a patch of silvery blue light, Harris presented herself on stage right, just off the middle to leave a clear central view towards a giant screen which would play looped video recordings for the duration of her set. Assembled behind a table of gear that consisted of boards, pedals, decks, and other equipment made to help manipulate sound, Harris would occasionally reach for a guitar as well, but remained seated and in position for the entirety of her show. Droning tones would reverberate throughout the seated venue and hit with a booming effect, leaving the audience spellbound and locked in with focus. Nature sounds filled the background as trilling insects and birdsong acted as the transitional moments between each piece all of which were striking and hypnotic in their own ways. Following the haunting vocals of "Invisible," the chilling pings and glassy pangs of "Vanishing Point" rang throughout the theatre pushing the endurance of the crowd between other moments of warm, blown-out fuzz. As she shifted tapes and cartridges between the devices in front of her, she appeared like a magician working in the darkness crafting different spells and calling on different mixtures of feedback and white noise to help shape her distorted soundscapes. When Harris did use her microphone, which was during songs only and never to directly address the crowd, her vocals were like clouds, softly floating between notes with a dream-like texture of shimmering bliss. Showing full respect, there was not a peep or whisper from the crowd throughout the duration of the night, everyone fully enraptured by the compositions coming from the stage and not a single phone seemed to be raised from the seats as well, full attention being the main focus of the night, another refreshing aspect of the evening. When Harris struck the opening of "Headache," it was the first time you could feel the crowd breathe as one, all of us coming together to get lost in the majesty of the track, it's booming presence all encompassing and at one moment surging with an abundance of power that felt like a tidal wave on the verge of collapse. A brilliant and towering moment, it was nearly surreal to feel the music wash over us with such effect, the transcendent nature of the track beaming with more power than ever so much so that for the first time it caused the audience to break the spell and roar with applause. Later when she would strum with passion on the triumphant "Heavy Water / I'd Rather Be Swimming," the room again filled with sound in moving, dramatic fashion that it was challenging to not give in completely and melt into the music. Just as it wonderfully began, it all concluded so quickly as well and Harris surgically pulled things down until a single click brought it all to a finish as she sheepishly waved to the crowd before scurrying away, leaving us all in a daze of pure and utter bliss.

Set list:

01 "Invisible"
02 (Unknown)
03 "Alien Observer"
04 "I’m Clean Now"
05 "Moving Machine"
06 "Poison Tree"
07 "Headache"
08 "Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping"
09 "Dragging the Streets"
10 "I Saw a Ray"