Live: The Clientele @ Spaceland, 3.05.10

The Clientele
All photos by David Greenwald

The first two times I saw the Clientele, they were plagued by technical difficulties and the injustice of opening for Peter Bjorn and John to a crowd more interesting in taking iPhone photos of themselves, respectively. Respect wasn’t the name of the game for some surprisingly rowdy drunks (at a Clientele show!) at the band’s Spaceland gig on Friday, but they sounded triumphant nevertheless. After opening with a cover of Big Star’s “Nighttime” and dropping song-of-the-2000s contender “Since K Got Over Me,” the band launched into a career-spanning setlist both beautiful and forceful. Frontman Alasdair MacLean referred to an early run of Bonfires on the Heath tracks as “my new songs,” but the band — which features rock’s most undersung rhythm section — took ownership of their catalog. Bassist James Hornsey, in particular, isn’t a showman, but after Wilco’s John Stirratt (and Sir Paul McCartney), he’s the most fluidly melodic player working, and his talents were in full affect on “Here Comes the Phantom” and “I Wonder Who We Are.” The show’s only failing was not extending the magic longer — after a too-brief hour, encore included, the band called it a night. More photos after the jump.

The Clientele

The Clientele

The Clientele

The Clientele

The Clientele – “Harvest Time”: mp3

PreviouslyFirst Look: The Clientele – Bonfires on the Heath