• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • 5 DOUBLE-U’S
    • MASTHEAD
    • DISTRIBUTION
    • ADVERTISE
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG Year End 2020

REVIEW: WILL BUTLER AT MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS

Written by IAN DOREIAN Posted March 9, 2015 Filed Under: MUSIC, Reviews

willbutler29-cover
Photos by Ian Doreian

 

Testifying to a warm welcome in the middle of a Narnia winter,  Will Butler was moved down the block from TT the Bear’s for a celebratory show at The Middle East. Good thing, too. The sold-out show was a raucous Friday affair for Arcade Fire‘s one-man-band instrumentalist and his solo album, Policy. Even though the album isn’t released until March 10, thanks to legal (and less-than-legal) streaming, there was strong audience participation.

 

willbutler04-Edit

Butler’s band, a melange of standing percussionist (Antibalas’s Miles Arntzen), family keyboardist (sister-in-law Julie Shore), and backup singers, covered Policy‘s ten songs with precision even when guitar cords and monitors fuzzed out. Butler took it in stride, a bemused grin floating under shagged hair. And his white tuxedo jacket, splattered with reddish dye, and shirt cufflinked with a safety pin, gave a rumpled lounge singer vibe.

 

willbutler09 crop

 

To fill a proper headlining set, as the album runs for 27 minutes, Butler performed songs from his week-long song composing project with UK newspaper The Guardian. It had the effect, though, of undercutting some of the concise power of the album. Still, songs from Policy sounded more loose, perhaps freed from the extra saxophone and clarinet studio arrangements. The gospel tinged “Son of God,” harmonies and clap rhythm assisted from cocktail-dressed background singers, proved that Policy is more than an Arcade Fire side-project. Butler certainly employs similar themes, “nothing lasts forever I’ve been told,” yet expands his laments with profane force, “but some of this shit’s gettin’ pretty old.”

 

The set built energy from “Something’s Coming,” a song with Talking Heads groove. It also pulls off some Arcade Fire dénouement magic as song’s closing section abruptly switches tone, and this shift sustained what a zero transition sprint through a Violet Femmes cover, and into an unscheduled encore. Like with his other band, Will Butler and his songs are best experienced live. Boston and Cambridge certainly felt that way, and Butler graciously signed and selfied long after the final note.

 

Full fotobom here!

Setlist

Cold
Son of God
Clean Monday
Anna
Finish What I Started
Surrender
You Must Be Kidding
Sun Comes Up
Madonna Can’t Save Me Now
Something’s Coming
Public Defender
What I Want
Sing to Me
Witness
American Music (Violent Femmes cover)
Take My Side
I Don’t Know

Encore (Butler on solo guitar)


 

IAN DOREIAN
More from author
  • IAN DOREIAN
    https://digboston.com/author/ian-doreian/
    REVIEW: THE WEEKND @ DCU CENTER, THU 11/12
  • IAN DOREIAN
    https://digboston.com/author/ian-doreian/
    FOTOBOM: KOЯN AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES 10.8.2015
  • IAN DOREIAN
    https://digboston.com/author/ian-doreian/
    REVIEW: U2 @ TD GARDEN, FRI 7/10
  • IAN DOREIAN
    https://digboston.com/author/ian-doreian/
    FOTOBOM: THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH @ ORPHEUM THEATRE, 5/14

Filed Under: MUSIC, Reviews Tagged With: Antibalas, arcade fire, Cambridge, fotobomb, Middle East, Miles Arntzen, policy, side project, son of god, violent femmes, Will Butler

WHAT’S NEW

HOW ONE MASS TOWN TOOK EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES TO APPEASE A CONTROVERSIAL COP

HOW ONE MASS TOWN TOOK EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES TO APPEASE A CONTROVERSIAL COP

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HONORED, SPEAKERS ADDRESS RACISM

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HONORED, SPEAKERS ADDRESS RACISM

FORMER MASS GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE PREDICTED VIOLENCE BEFORE ASSAULT ON CAPITOL

FORMER MASS GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE PREDICTED VIOLENCE BEFORE ASSAULT ON CAPITOL

PRISON HORRORS BY THE NUMBERS

PRISON HORRORS BY THE NUMBERS

Harry Brill. Photo courtesy of Gary Zabel.

RADICAL AND RELEVANT: THE LIFE OF HARRY BRILL

Aerial View Parkman Bandstand at Boston Common. CC BY-SA 4.0 2017 by AbhiSuryawanshi.

NO HONEYMOON FOR BIDEN: 1/20 PROTEST ON BOSTON COMMON, 4 PM

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • APPOINTED SOMERVILLE OFFICIAL SPURS OUTRAGE WITH TWEETS FROM DC MOB SCENE by MARC LEVY
  • Aerial View Parkman Bandstand at Boston Common. CC BY-SA 4.0 2017 by AbhiSuryawanshi. NO HONEYMOON FOR BIDEN: 1/20 PROTEST ON BOSTON COMMON, 4 PM by MATTHEW ANDREWS
  • VIDEO: COP WHO BRAGGED THAT HE HIT PROTESTERS SHOWS HOW BAD APPLES THRIVE IN BOSTON by CHRIS FARAONE
  • IT’S HARDER THAN EVER TO FIND A BATHROOM IN BOSTON. WHAT’S THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT? by ZACK HUFFMAN
  • PRISON HORRORS BY THE NUMBERS by SARAH BETANCOURT

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 1.9 – 11/26/20

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG Year End 2020

Footer

digbos

RADICAL AND RELEVANT: THE LIFE OF HARRY BRILL http RADICAL AND RELEVANT: THE LIFE OF HARRY BRILL https://digboston.com/radical-and-relevant-the-life-of-harry-brill/ #obituary #organizer #radical #sociologist #democracy #politics @UMassBoston @BklynCollege411 @UCBerkeley #Boston #Massachusetts #NewYorkCity #Berkeley #California
NO HONEYMOON FOR BIDEN: 1/20 #PROTEST ON BOSTON CO NO HONEYMOON FOR BIDEN: 1/20 #PROTEST ON BOSTON COMMON, 4 PM https://digboston.com/no-honeymoon-for-biden-1-20-protest-on-boston-common-4-pm/ #opinion #progressive #left #action #inauguration #Boston #Massachusetts
Light and sweet and hoppy, we’re loving this lat Light and sweet and hoppy, we’re loving this latest incarnation of a #beer that’s been in the making for months. https://digboston.com/video-jacks-abby-x-boston-celtics-pride-and-parquet-hoppy-lager-unboxing-tasting/ #fun #video #review #Boston #Massachusetts
Jostling for position and influence are the disadv Jostling for position and influence are the disadvantaged candidates, existing industry participants, and municipalities … https://digboston.com/the-road-to-home-delivery-pt-5-dogs-in-the-fight-identifying-the-players/ #cannabis #politics #analysis #Massachusetts
The candidates will be interviewed about the upcom The candidates will be interviewed about the upcoming race. https://digboston.com/wu-and-campbell-to-speak-at-mayoral-candidate-webinar/ #politics #mayor #campaign #Boston #Massachusetts
Participants took to the streets in the hope of sw Participants took to the streets in the hope of swaying the Biden administration. https://digboston.com/on-national-day-of-action-protesters-call-for-eviction-moratorium/ #housing #justice #protest #national #Boston #Massachusetts
“They refuse to respond to this humanitarian cri “They refuse to respond to this humanitarian crisis where people really need them. We’re just ignoring this problem and it’s getting worse and worse.” https://digboston.com/its-harder-than-ever-to-find-a-bathroom-in-boston-whats-the-city-doing-about-it/ #politics #unhoused #homeless #bathroom #public #health #Boston #Massachusetts
Environmental #justice and #climate change advocat Environmental #justice and #climate change advocates are pushing for its passage. https://digboston.com/baker-urged-to-sign-game-changing-climate-bill/ #environment #globalwarming #legislation #politics #Massachusetts
In short, it’s amazing. For details, check the # In short, it’s amazing. For details, check the #video … https://digboston.com/video-night-shifts-tea-party-is-subtle-love-for-people-who-hate-most-hard-teas/ #review #fun #beer @NightShiftBeer
HOW TO DEFEAT THE HARD RIGHT: Some thoughts on the HOW TO DEFEAT THE HARD RIGHT: Some thoughts on the Capitol attack and building a more democratic nation. The latest from DigBoston's @jasonpramas. https://digboston.com/how-to-defeat-the-hard-right/ #democracy #politics #Capitol #US #America #attack #Biden #Trump #grassroots #movement #analysis #strategy #MAGA
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]