Eleanor Friedberger

As part of Fiery Furnaces, Eleanor Friedberger was the pop heart to her brother Matthew’s crazy, questing spirit, the two very different personalities often balancing out to produce brilliant albums Gallowsbird’s Bark and Blueberry Boat, often losing the thread of a concept and producing bizarre records like Rehearsing My Choir. On her own, Friedberger has matured as a song writer and singer to the point where her solo records Last Summer and Personal Record sounded like classic 70s singer-songwriter albums. Often piano led, songs sounded like they were influenced by Harry Nilsson and Joni Mitchell and told of Friedberger’s life and experiences as a musician in and around New York. This aspect isn’t lost when Friedberger plays live; ‘Other Boys’ is faithfully rendered as a girl-group inspired waltz, the singer a static presence at the microphone, ‘Stare at the Sun’ a terrific and breakneck guitar jam with Friedberger giving an intense middle-distance stare as she passionately delivers her story and ‘My Mistakes’ takes surf rock influences and marries them to a song that wouldn’t seem out of place on a latter-day Fiery Furnaces record.
The thing about seeing Eleanor Friedberger live is that she draws you into her lyrical world with consummate ease; it looks effortless but this is someone who works extremely hard to craft songs that keep the listener and the crowd involved until the very last.

It was so good to see her in this small, ram packed place.Just Eleanor and her acoustic. Voice perfect. I don't know if she's played outside of the furnaces in the UK before but it's well worth seeing her.maybe another time she'll have her band as well...
The moth club is a great little venue. Amazing gold ceiling. ..

Was expecting a more electronic sound however I was pleasantly surprised by arriving and seeing Patti Smith incarnated with a full band.

Gig was almost Ramones style with some songs starting with no pause.

Overall there were hits from the last album that stood out but not an exceptional experience.

Eleanor and her band were totally in sync, and that tightness allowed her to flow, as her lyrics tend to wash over the music. They were loud and powerful! A true quartet of professionals who know how to bring it! Kudos to her and her band.