Touch down in New York City and your senses are immediately assaulted. After two weeks of walking around Manhattan with my head on a swivel attempting to take it all in I needed some musical respite. On the 10th of June the Webster Hall, sandwiched between the Greenwich and East Villages of Manhattan, was my destination, and two mild-mannered musicians from Norway were the main attraction.
After a warm reception Erlend and Eirik, decked out in clothes that would make even the most hardcore of hipsters weak at the knees, each armed with just a guitar and microphone rapidly went about placing each audience member under a spell with their vocal and instrumental harmonies. I was curious as to how the Kings of Convenience's (KOC) mellow, soothing and sometimes minimal sound would translate to a large crowd in a large venue but was not let down at all. It was almost as if you were to close your eyes you could be transported to your living room with KOC relaxing on your sofa, casually strumming out the tunes. The opener "My Ship Isn't Pretty", off their latest album, was a delicate introduction to how the KOC operate. Alone, Erlend and Eirik can definitely hold their own, but when they mould their talents together you get a sound that can be described using an endless list of adjectives: whispy, dreamy, funky, melodic, hypnotic etc. etc. They effortlessly roll into their more popular track "I Don't Know What I Can Save You From" off their debut album from 2001 and at its conclusion you can tell that both KOC and the crowd have now warmed up and are ready to kick it up a notch.
It's at this point that a distinctive feature of a KOC concert is unveiled: the completely disarming and dry sense of humour that is shared between the two performers. During their general audience banter they could be confused for a seasoned comedy duo as they effortlessly arouse laughter from the crowd with each anecdote and song introduction. It also becomes quite clear that they don't take themselves too seriously, when after one of their more 'upbeat' tracks Eirik joked that "that was rock, and now we will play you a slow song". They are very aware of the type of music they play (and that their audience enjoys) and have spent a lot of time perfecting the simplicity.
The set list is comprised of a measured mix of old and new songs, however I'm sure sometimes even the most hardened KOC fan would be hard pressed to rattle off all the track titles, as they largely use a similar, tried-and-true formula. But this doesn't concern you in the slightest when it's just so damn easy to bop your head and hum along. By the time tracks off their latest CD, namely "Mrs Cold", "Boat Behind", "Me In You" had been played it was clear that no fan in attendance had been left behind. The highlight comes with their flawless execution of crowd participation which involved: splitting the audience into a two part harmony, coordinating finger snaps, and dropping the lights so that everyone was standing in complete darkness creating a musical moment that was sure to create a smile and make your hairs stand on end.
What followed was another gear shift as KOC invited their opening act, 'Franklin For Short, back on the stage to play with them on a few tracks "adding another chapter into the history of Kings of Convenience" according to Eirik. It was unfamiliar, but entertaining, to hear KOC songs with such a strong backing of drums and bass guitar, and something that Erlend was clearly relishing as he took his showmanship to the next level. Before kicking into the track "I'd Rather Dance With You" Erlend encouraged the crowd to "dance like it's your wedding... let's get married!" and proceeded to elicit admiration and laughter from the crowd as he gyrated and pranced across the entirety of the stage. Eirik seemed content to step back and give his counterpart the spotlight to finish up the show as Erlend continually toyed with the crowd, and even disappeared for a minute only to reappear wearing a comedic bowtie for their encore rendition of "It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To", a fitting way to end a concert that was as much about laughter and enjoyment as it was about the music itself. Judging from the smiles on the faces of people leaving it seemed that at the night's conclusion both male and female audience members alike had in some way fallen in love with the Norwegian duo.
Remember in the movie 'The Castle' when Darryl Kerrigan compliments his wife on her no-frills cooking by saying: "but it's what you've done with it". You could probably say the same thing about the musical styling of the KOC: it is straight forward, no frills folk music... but it's what they've done with it.
R. Hunter
