What I love about New York City in the summertime are the numerous free concerts. Central Park SummerStage, which is managed by the City Parks Foundation, provides free concerts in a beautiful outdoor setting, and operates with the help of volunteers, and of course welcomed donations by concert-goers. This venue holds about five thousand people in a general admission setting, mixed between the bleacher style seats and lawn. For most shows it seems that it’s always a packed house, and that doesn’t surprise me based on the line up of artists that is put together each year. I was lucky to see M. Ward headline a show, with the opening band Floored By Four.
The show happened to fall on a Saturday night, and as the sun started to set, several thousand fans cheered on as the legendary punk rock bassist Mike Watt, with Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, took the stage alongside Yuka Honda on keys and Dougie Bowne on drums, as their new incarnation Floored By Four. For those who aren’t familiar with Mike Watt, he has a long musical career dating back to the 1970s, appearing in bands ranging from The Minutemen to the more recent reunited Stooges tour. Watt has been a key figure in the development of American alternative rock music, influencing musicians such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Most of their set was an instrumental mix with very little vocals. I was mesmerized by Nels Cline’s guitar riffs, jamming with Watt’s bass. The two have played together in previous side projects, and you could feel their history as they vibed off each and pushed their music in new directions. The music at times seemed to be almost a psychedelic alternative blend, and I couldn’t help but watch Cline’s guitar working the high notes with a slide, and tons of effects pedals. I looked out towards the crowd at one point, and most people just seemed to be bopping their heads slowly, closely watching the intensity of the musicians on stage. When there were vocals to be sung, Watt sang with such fervor while playing the bass that you understood his greatness.
Night fell, and after a short break between sets, M. Ward took the stage by himself, dressed in black with an acoustic guitar in hand. It seemed to be a tribute to Johnny Cash, who Ward cites as one of his musical influences. Without really acknowledging the crowd, he broke into “Sad, Sad Song” with such passion that the crowd was hushed instantly. It was a great entrance to say the least. By the third song, his backing band joined him on stage. Ward switched to an electric guitar, and then later to the piano, for part of their hour long set. Songs from the night included hits such as “Jailbird,” “To Save Me,” and “Hold Time” from his latest album with the same name. At one point the band played a cover of “Roll Over Beethoven,” paying homage to Chuck Berry and the early rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly styles that are prevalent in his music. Ward didn’t really interact much with the crowd that night, and instead let his lyrics do the talking. As a result, he was able to pack in a ton of songs in such a short set, which made for entertaining evening.
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, M. Ward has been on the scene since 2001. Ward has collaborated with musicians ranging from Beth Orton, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, and most recently with actress Zooey Deschanel, forming the band She and Him. In February of 2009 he released his most recent album Hold Time, which is available on Merge Records. If you’re in North America, M. Ward will be touring across the US and Canada in October and November as a part of Monsters of Folk.
