TV on the Radio @The Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Oct. 15th

(Sorry for the five month delay in posting this -- I went on vacation the day after the concert and never got around to posting, but better late than never, I guess.)

Wawa and I met up the day for a quick pre-show bite at The Smoke Joint in Fort Greene before heading over to The Brooklyn Masonic Temple a few blocks away for one of our favorite acts, TV on the Radio. Unfortunately, our indulgence in pulled pork and baked beans resulted in the typical itis, but luckily the main floor of the Masonic Temple is flanked by an upstairs seating level and we were able to grab two seats dead center early on. We pointed at the hipsters congregating on the floor and laughed, deciding that we were no longer in terrible need of being pressed up in front of the stage against sweaty skinny bodies, especially when seats are available.

To our dismay, the opener -- a Dave Sitek produced band called Telepathe -- was HORRIBLE. I imagined one could employ such hideous music in torture sessions. My eardrums felt like they were bleeding. Perhaps they did literally bleed -- I crammed anything I could find in my pockets into my ear canals to soften the blow. But for our good seats, I think I woulda found any excuse to leave the building, even develop a smoking habit. Thankfully they were on maybe 1/2 hour. I dunno. I can never get that part of my life back again.

At last, TVOTR came on, and they did not disappoint. Having caught the guys many times before, including a really amazing time up front at Prospect Park, I was eager to hear their newer material from the much-lauded album, Dear Science. Similar to the Prospect Park performance where they were augmented by Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, the band this time included a horns section which provided for a fuller sound. Tunde never fails to disappoint as showman, with his spazzy energy bouncing along with every groove.

It was a nice, relaxed experience, seeing TVOTR from the balcony, although it became oppressively hot upstairs by the end. We moved downstairs for the encore where it was much cooler and left with our ears buzzing with the last notes of the blissful classic "Staring at the Sun."