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Liam Finn found himself in a unique situation last Saturday at the 400 Bar. Instead of supporting Brooklyn band Pela, as was planned, he suddenly had the premium slot to himself after the headliner’s lead singer was forced to cancel due to an injury the previous night. Finn took advantage of the one-hour timeslot to play the majority of his recent album, I’ll Be Lightning, as well as some freaky guitar and drum solos (to the immense enjoyment of the audience). 

 

Those not familiar with Liam Finn might recognize his father’s name, Neil (of Crowded House and Split Enz). Liam is carrying on the family musical tradition on his current tour accompanied by another musical offspring, Eliza-Jane Barnes (the daughter of Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes). Though it is just the two of them onstage they utilize a large number of instruments and loop pedals to give themselves a large band sound.  While Finn switched spastically between guitar, drums, and theramin, Barnes covered the autoharp, tambourine and various percussive instruments.  This constant switching made the show’s pace a little frantic, but it also created a very high-energy and enjoyable performance.

 

While Finn soaked himself in sweat by constantly moving around the stage, many of his songs weren’t as fast paced as you might think. The man has a balladeer’s voice, and much of the show was as quietly touching as it was at other times lightning-quick. “Fire in Your Belly,” particularly,  romanced the audience with touching sweetness before launching back into the jam. On the funkier side, Finn created a new song on the spot by recording the word “Minneapolis,” looping it, and then jamming over the loops with frenzied guitar and drums.  The live songs were much more multi-dimensional than I’ll Be Lightning’s studio tracks due to the constant looping and Finn’s dynamic instrumentals.

 

Liam Finn - Photo by Jon Behm

 Overall the show really did everything for me: it both touched me with bittersweet moments as well as getting my feet to move during the rockout sessions. I particularly enjoyed Finn on the drums, which appear to be his first passion (though he plays a mean guitar as well). It is a shame that Pela had to cancel at the last moment, but I am glad that it gave Finn the kind of set he deserves. While he may not be a headliner yet, he showed us on Saturday night that he has what it takes keep an audience captive for as long as he sees fit.

 

Liam Finn's Myspace

Liam Finn's website