Feist at Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf

Feist wrapped up the bulk of her touring behind her terrific fourth album, Metals, with a stop in Buffalo. She headlined one of the Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor events held at the Erie Canal Harbor, sandwiched between the canal and the city.

Local opener Roger Bryan and the Orphans started playing in the late afternoon sun, and by the time support act Snowblink — Canadian singer/guitarist Daniela Gesundheit backed by guitarist Dan Goldman — finished, dusk had settled over the harbor. The duo played a handful of originals and a haunting cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper.” Gesundheit was soft-spoken and quiet but was propelled by an incredible voice — not unlike her friend Leslie Feist.

But while Feist’s performances may once have been quiet perfection, only one of those words would describe her now. The singer-songwriter, backed by a six-piece band that included Broken Social Scene’s Charles Spearin and the three singers of Mountain Man, is a red-blooded performer. With a fervent intensity, they kicked off the set with “A Commotion” — a song heavy enough to be covered by the metal band Mastodon.

Behind her, the stage was lit up by a sea of psychedelic projections and deliberately lo-fi video feeds from cameras attached to mic stands and hanging from the trusses.

Most of the songs were from Metals, definitely her most forceful record. Feist and her band played the single “How Come You Never Go There” (with excellent three-part harmonies from Mountain Man) and thundered through “The Bad in Each Other.”

She did slow it down a bit with songs like “Comfort Me” and “The Circle Married the Line,” but she rearranged most of her slower songs for a stronger live performance. “I Feel It All” and “My Moon My Man” were sped up and distorted, and “Mushaboom” was almost completely transformed. Even the encore of “Sea Lion Woman” — one of the most upbeat songs on 2007’s The Reminder — was very different.

Surprisingly (or not, if you’ve paid attention to recent setlists and show reviews), “1,2,3,4” failed to make an appearance. Though it’s her biggest single, it really wouldn’t have fit in the set. Feist was both somber and energetic, but nothing short of sincere. The silly sing-a-long would have completely undone the set’s complex intensity. And though its absence was noted, no one seemed to mind.

See some more photos from the show after the jump.

Kind of Bleu’s Top 20 of 2011

Kind of Bleu’s top albums of 2011, with links to each review in the countdown.

Honorable Mentions:
Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan & Chris Thile – The Goat Rodeo Sessions
Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
I’m From Barcelona – Forever Today
Panda Bear – Tomboy
My Morning Jacket – Circuital

20. Chris Thile & Michael Daves – Sleep With One Eye Open 

19. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life

18. Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What

17. Wild Flag – Wild Flag

16. Tom Waits – Bad as Me

15. The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart

14. James Blake – James Blake

13. The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck

12. Wilco – The Whole Love

11. Feist – Metals

10. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s a Corporate World

8. Middle Brother – Middle Brother

7. Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire

6. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead

5. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

4. The Antlers – Burst Apart

3. Destroyer – Kaputt

2. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Top 20 of 2011: 11. Feist – Metals

11. Feist – Metals

Feist has written some incredible songs. Even beyond the massive, but impossible-to-hate “1,2,3,4,” her canon includes a score of impeccable songs like “Mushaboom,” “Limit to Your Love,” “I Feel It All” and “Gatekeeper.” Despite the number of great songs, her albums have always seemed to drag.

Metals is her first album that works beautifully as a whole. It’s dark, especially on the heels of the album featuring “1,2,3,4,” but it works perfectly.

Feist makes great use of her accompanying musicians. In addition to her longtime producers, Mocky and Chilly Gonzales (who also plays quite a bit on the album), she employed percussionist Dean Stone and keyboardist Brian LeBarton (Beck, Jamie Lidell).

Her core band tends to hide in the background, but other guest performers don’t. Broken Social Scene’s Evan Cranley plays euphonium and trombone, but Colin Stetson’s bass saxophone (in addition to his flute, baritone sax, tenor sax, trumpet and French horn) almost steals the show, adding dramatic undertones to the songs.

The other show-stopping guest is the Real Vocal String Quartet, an unusual group of women who sing while each plays her instrument. The warm strings and lush harmonies swell perfectly around the rest of the music.

Songs like “How Come You Never Go There” and “Graveyard,” while not as catchy as “1,2,3,4” or “Mushaboom” are every bit as beautiful. While it might not give her a hit single, Metals is Feist’s strongest album yet.

Beck – Record Club

Beck broke into the mainstream in 1993. Looking at the résumé he’s assembled since then, you’d think he’d done it all. But after 11 studio albums, touring the world and producing a slew of other artists’ records, he decided to tackle a different kind of project.