Nation of Language at Market Hotel (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)

 

To celebrate the release of their second album, A Way Forward, which drops today, Brooklyn-based synth-pop band Nation of Language headlined a sold-out show at Bushwick venue Market Hotel. The trio, which consists of Ian Richard Devaney (vocals), Aidan Noell (synth) and Michael Sue-Poi (bass), released a fantastic first album, Introduction, Presence, in May 2020, and it has been in constant rotation during the pandemic for this listener. Thursday night’s show had a good mix of songs from both albums and included a synthy cover of “Gouge Away” by the Pixies as an encore. I’ve been listening to the new album while editing my photos and doing this write-up, and I’m happy to report that it continues to hit a sweet spot for this child of the ‘80s. Go see Nation of Language while you can still catch them in a small venue. They will have you dancing your socks off in no time.

 

Local band Cutouts started things off with an opening set. Its members for the show included Alex MacKay (lead vocals, guitar), Shannon Wise (backing vocals, bass), Eli Recht-Appel (guitar), Leo Grossman (tambourine) and Léna Bartels (drums). Their music paired nicely with that of Nation of Language, and Alex even joined the headliners for a track on guitar.

Nation of Language setlist: Rush & Fever, I’ve Thought About Chicago, Wounds of Love, September Again, Across That Fine Line, A Word & A Wave, Indignities, Friend Machine, The Grey Commute, On Division St., What Does the Normal Man Feel?, This Fractured Mind. ENCORE- Gouge Away (Pixies cover), The Wall & I

 

Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Ellen Qbertplaya)

 

CUTOUTS

 

 

NATION OF LANGUAGE