Boy & Bear- Get Up & Dance Tour

It's hard to believe it has been nearly a year since I last saw Boy & Bear play live.  They have been busy touring all over the world in support of their latest album Harlequin Dream, so it was nice for them to come back to play some more shows for their Australian fans.  Our show at the Palais Theatre was the second in Melbourne this week, but the first one that went on sale and sold out.  The opening act tonight was the wonderful Holy Holy, who sounded fantastic in the acoustics of the Palais.  Mary and I were happy to get to see them again and they played lots of new songs in addition to the previously released tracks "Impossible Like You," "House Of Cards" and new single "History."

Every time Boy & Bear come through town they play bigger and bigger venues, and there was a wide range of ages in the audience tonight.  The set contained songs from all of their releases, and I was really happy to hear "Rabbit Song" so early on in the evening.  They tended to play many of songs back to back with no break, and sounded really solid after all the touring they've been doing this year.  Some of the many highlights included "Lordy May," "My Only One," "Back Down The Black," "Milk & Sticks" and "Old Town Blues."  They also brought back their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet" into the set, which was great to hear and my third Crowdies cover of the week after The Basics shows.  Dave Hosking apologized to everyone for calling this the Get Up & Dance Tour since they were playing a seated venue where you weren't allowed to stand.  This didn't stop a small group of people in the middle section though who popped up to dance during "Southern Sun" and "Feeding Line."  I have to give the band mad props for keeping up their no encore policy, which they warned everyone about toward the end so no one would be disappointed (or stick around clapping for no reason).  The last song for the evening was the lovely and touching "Big Man." 

Here's the video for the latest single "Old Town Blues"