November 4, 2009
Doveman Plays Fancy Loft Party for CMJ, Touring With Swell Season
In case you haven't paid attention to our frequently updated shows page, Doveman's hitting the road with Oscar-winners The Swell Season. They kicked off the tour last night in Toronto and will make their way through the Northeast and West Coast. To see exactly where and when Doveman will land (pun alert, sorry!), click here.
Meanwhile, in somewhat more exclusive & shmancy news, Doveman gave an unofficial CMJ performance a week or so back to celebrate the release of The Conformist. Held at a friend's loft in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, he was backed by a string quartet and friends Sean Lennon, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Jennifer Charles (of Elysian Fields), Justin Bond, Dawn Landes, C.J. Camarieri, and Bryce Dessner (whom we already know about). The gig received some very nice reviews, including "Highbrow/Brilliant" kudos from New York Magazine's scientific-ish Approval Matrix. Paper complimented both the album and the show, capturing the essence of lamp-rock as well as the show's relaxed vibe:
The Conformist...[is] a haunting, ethereal, and beautifully melodic album, and Barlett's airy voice is the undeniable show-stealer - which begs the question: does he really need all the help?...The creative camaraderie seemed too perfect to be true - and then the host revealed that Bartlett's first visit to the apartment had been for a musical salon held there. Suddenly, Doveman's come-as-you-will composition made a lot more sense.
Meanwhile, Time Out NY made a new furry friend at the show:
A black lab made the rounds, proud to be hosting such glamorous guests. As I suspect the dog would agree, it was the type of soiree that contemporary New York needs more of unless, of course, these things happen every night, and people choose not to invite me.
Stereogum put some words together and collected some pictures, highlighting the room's intimacy as "a perfect foil for Doveman's candlelit Conformist material." BrooklynVegan also collected some words and images. Our favorites:
.jpg)
Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl perform with The Big D.
.jpg)
The crowd looks at the string quartet look at its sheet music.
.jpg)
Dawn Landes sings on the floor; Doveman sings on the piano bench.
.jpg)
Bryce Dessner rocks it Indian style.