The old velvet curtain that shields the stage at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, L.I. from eager fans slid open for a third time on September 2^nd, leaving an empty stage. A pause as long as a slow inhale had Manchester Orchestra casually strolling onto the stage.

The night was clearly comfortable for Andy Hull and the band, nonchalantly requesting “a liquor drink” somewhere in the middle of the set and moving systematically from song to song. Energy was bounding off of the low stage: “Pride” opened the show with Chris Freeman banging on drums and staring directly at the Manchester’s stand-in drummer Ben Homola, the two generating the thunder for Hull and Robert McDowell’s lightening vocals.

“Wolves At Night” dripped across the room, followed by a soft rendition of “50 Cent.” Hull caught wind of a heckling audience member and stopped his symphony. “Play a real song? This is the realest fucking song,” somewhere between committed sarcasm, self-mockery, and fierce confidence. The humor fully awoke the audience just in time for a passionate set of shouts in “Now That You’re Home.”

The night hung heavy with whispers of Brand New: the band’s drum tech Homoloa was playing onstage with Manchester Orchestra; Derrick Sherman in the Sainthood Reps had opened the show; Brian Lane loitered off of the right of the stage during Manchester’s set. So when Hull broke out into the first two lines of “Sowing Season” before launching into “I Can Barely Breathe,” a half-second delayed shudder of excitement rushed through the room. Electrified, everyone seemed to harmonize under Hull’s vocals to “fly so high.” 

A truly lyrically and musically chilling and raw “Colly Strings” and a cover of Willie Nelson’s “The Party’s Over” slowed the show down, letting McDowell’s supporting vocals shine to the left of Hull’s overwhelming presence.

Not willing to leave Long Island without another shout-out to a Nassau Coliseum show more than 9 months in the past, Hull substituted Kevin Devine lyrics in “Where Have You Been” singing out, “Don’t kill yourself to raise the dead/ It never works you’ll only end up joining them.” The line was almost undetected, but a few dedicated fans bounced at the foreign and familiar line infilitrating this I’m Like a Virgin Losing A Child favorite. Manchester Orchestra also treated the Long Island crowd to two new songs off of their upcoming album.

“What, how long we’ve been playing for? An hour and a half?” Hull asked some one off stage. He promised two more to the crowd. After some protest, he questioned: “When’s the last time you saw fucking Cute Is What We Aim For play an hour and a half?” only to further jest, “I’m overweight up here.” 

Manchester Orchestra said that this was the last show they’d be playing for a while, and they certainly played as musicians and for a room of friends, as friends.

Setlist: 
Pride
In My Teeth
100 Dollars
New Song
Wolves At Night
50 Cent
Now That You’re Home
My Friend Marcus
Sowing Season/I Can Barely Breathe
Shake It Out
Colly Strings
The Party’s Over
Everything To Nothing
The River
The Only One
Where Have You Been/You’ll End Up Joining Them
Barry Bonds
I’ve Got Friends
New Song

*This review was composed by Emily Coch