The Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000

The Fleet Foxes @ The Moore Theatre. Seattle, Washington.
October 19, 2008.

On Sunday night the Fleet Foxes played a homecoming concert at The Moore Theatre in Seattle. Their MySpace page had this date on the tour listed as “The Moore (scared).” The five scraggly members of the Fleet Foxes had little to fear; all 1400 or so seats seemed to be filled with friends and family. Lead singer Robin Pecknold even announced that all his elementary school teachers were in attendance. Although not as ambitious as Justice trying to play the Garden, expecting the humble Fleet Foxes to fill a venue like The Moore is no modest feat. The fact that the box office had a “SOLD OUT” sign plastered on its window Sunday night is a testament to the love Seattle has for these guys. The flawless, seventy-five minute set that ensued did more than entertain; it transformed the vast Moore into a cozy, intimate room. There might have been 1399 other people at the show, but it felt like it was just me and a few dudes with beards playing guitar and singing.

I met up with Sharat, Desiree, Tom, Nick and Laura at Mama’s Mexican Kitchen. Even though we were just having a few margaritas and burritos, our night with the Fleet Foxes had already started. Josh Tillman, Fleet Foxes’ drummer, sat a few tables away. Our gang headed up the block to The Moore where we met Julie. As we walked into The Moore, I saw Casey Wescott (mandolin/keyboards) chatting with a bouncer at the door. Every once in awhile, an event occurs that transcends its description. Similar to Kay Kay’s album release at the Triple Door earlier this year, Sunday’s performance was more of a community gathering than a concert—it just happened that the Fleet Foxes were the entertainment.

The Moore from the lower balcony.
According to HistoryLink.org, The Moore first opened in 1907.

Frank Fairfield.

Frank Fairfield opened for the Fleet Foxes. He nervously shuffled out, sat down, and immediately started playing. No introductions. Singing songs from the Americana tradition, Frank alternated between guitar, banjo and fiddle. Although slightly awkward, Frank’s performance was earnest and heartfelt; he performed much of the set with his eyes closed and face obscured behind the giant microphone. Frank’s roots music prepped the palette perfectly for the stew about to served by the Fleet Foxes.

Robin Pecknold.

The Moore warmly greeted the Fleet Foxes as the five members situated themselves on stage. Rather than immediately launching into a tune, the band got comfortable and casually tuned up. Someone yelled out, “you rock!” Robin jokingly responded, “you think this is good, wait until we start playing.” Another audience member piped up, “so what’s the deal, do you need to grow a beard to get into this place or what?” This caused the band to laugh and take a few good natured shots at Skyler, their lead guitarist and only clean-shaved member. The humorous back and forth with the audience continued throughout the show and contributed to the intimate nature of the evening.

Christian Wargo and Josh Tillman.

For the opener, the band launched into a perfect a cappella version of “Sun Giant” with mesmerizing four part harmonies. They seamlessly slid into “Sun Rises” next. Compared to the last time I saw the Fleet Foxes (CHBP 2008), this performance went “sans instruments” more often.

Skyler Skjelset.

I had to employ a slightly different method to photograph this concert. Normally, I can get very close to the stage at venues like Neumos or Chop Suey. Being close to the action allows me to use fast, short lenses like the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 and Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. Since I was camped out in a reserved seat in the balcony, I had to use my slow-ish Nikon 18-200mm VR to get close. The maximum aperture opening at 200mm is f/5.6. To get a decent shutter speed, I let the Auto ISO float up to 3200. Nearly every image on this page is at ISO 3200. If you are curious, you can see all the meta data for each photo by clicking it, and then selecting “More details” towards the bottom of the right column.

I love seeing the band perform “Ragged Wood.” The “whoa-ohhh-ohhhhhhhhhs” are sung so powerfully it appears that Robin dislocates his jaw.

The most endearing part of the night was easily Robin’s solo performance on the edge of the stage. For the encore, he came out alone and unplugged his guitar. Approaching the lip of the stage, Robin announced to the audience that he wanted to try something. He sang and played “Katie Cruel” with no amplification or microphone. Despite being just a decibel or two softer than the PA volume, I heard every word and guitar riff with crystal clarity.

If the sight of Robin standing is not enough for you, he actually played electric guitar on their new song, “Silver City.”

Casey Wescott.

Josh Tillman.

The band closed with a stirring performance of “Blue Ridge Mountains.” The live version of this song encompasses everything that is quintessential Fleet Foxes. It begins with delicate harmonies before gentle acoustic instruments weave into the mix. Hints of percussion are sprinkled amongst the polyphony until Josh crashes the cymbals with tambourines in both hands. At this point, the tune builds in intensity while Robin’s lyrics poetically evoke the emotion of familiar scenery: “In the quivering forest, where the shivering dog rests.”

This photo is featured on Line Out, the Stranger’s music blog.

Driving home from the concert, I shared with Tom, Sharat and Desiree that I felt like there was no better place to be in Seattle than at that show. As far as concerts go, the Fleet Foxes are probably the best I will see in 2008. Personally, their performance on Sunday night is one of the best musical experiences I have had in years. Nick thoughtfully summarized that “it was clear they were having a blast up there, and were truly happy to be playing at home; the energy was contagious.” Not only was the joy palpable, but for me this show helped define what it is I am doing here in Seattle. It was the culmination of everything I love about the Northwest: incredible friends, great music, breathtaking natural beauty and, of course, getting to monkey around with my camera.