Monday night saw the long awaited return of David Longstreth and his indie project, Dirty Projectors, to both the city of Salt Lake and to the Stage—capital “S”—as part of a promo tour for their forthcoming album, Lamp Lit Prose. Monday’s show was a stop on the band’s first tour in five years, and their only since the release of last year’s self-titled album, consequently drawing a crowd from Utah and the surrounding states that were not bestowed with tour stops. There was plenty of room to breathe, but the dedicated fans that turned out filled Urban Lounge with a palpable energy that seemed to surprise even Longstreth himself and certainly helped to loosen things up after the first few songs.
For those familiar with the band’s earlier work, Monday’s show may not have been exactly the return they were expecting. The band felt far more casual and loose than their catalog of tightly woven, complex music would imply, allowing for charming bits of imperfections and interspersed space for improvisation. That’s not to say that the band wasn’t tight. The stage was packed from edge to edge with enough musical prowess for just as many bands, and they felt flawlessly in sync with one another, even when they ventured far into the weeds of obscure, idiosyncratic rhythms and melodies. Songs began and ended perfectly in time with little more than a shared look between Longstreth and his band, and four-part harmonies seemed to fall effortlessly into place. It was surprising, I thought, for a band who had just come off of a five-year tour hiatus. But a passing comment about a 2003 Kilby Court performance shed light on just how much experience Longstreth has. And that experience, as evidenced on Monday night, is not easily worn away.
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Sven Gamsky, aka Still Woozy, opening the show. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Still Woozy touring drummer Peter Johnston, aka Skinny Pete. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Still Woozy drawing a faithful and lively crowd for his opening set. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Jack-of-all-trades Yonatan Kahn supporting Still Woozy on guitar, bass, and synth. Photo: Matthew Hunter
One of many intimate moments, Sven joined his audience for dance. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Dirty Projectors taking the stage to some rowdy applause. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Frontman and founder David Longstreth warming up. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Maia Friedman with some flawless shredding. Photo: Matthew Hunter
The band delivering an energetic performance of their new single “Break-Thru.” Photo: Matthew Hunter
Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Felicia Douglas on vocals, auxiliary percussion, and keyboard. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Dirty Projectors playing to a packed house. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Kristin Slipp in a sea of keys. Photo: Matthew Hunter
The band performed songs from all eras of Dirty Projectors, including some crowd favorites from their eponymous 2017 album. Photo: Matthew Hunter
David cranking out huge sound from the Pocket Piano during “Cool Your Heart.” Photo: Matthew Hunter
Kristin with some truly angelic supporting vocals. Photo: Matthew Hunter
An emotional moment with David. Photo: Matthew Hunter
A focused Maia laying down riffs. Photo: Matthew Hunter
David taking a break during a powerful performance of “Keep Your Name.” Photo: Matthew Hunter
Tweaking knobs on the Pocket Piano. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Felicia banging out some aux percussion under a flood of light. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Maia laying down some backing vocals during an encore performance. Photo: Matthew Hunter
The final few notes from David. Photo: Matthew Hunter
Kristin taking the lead on a verse from “Swing Lo, Magellan.” Photo: Matthew Hunter
David closing out the night at Urban Lounge. Photo: Matthew Hunter
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