Feist
House of Blues
Boston, MA
May 7

In early May, Leslie Feist took to the stage at House of Blues, Boston, performing a rootsy, bluesy and relatively short set that saw her play some of her favorites, alternately arranged. This was the case for “Mushaboom” – her first hit, from Let It Die, her first solo album – and the title track from that album, which was the night’s closer and the second song of the encore. “Let It Die” was played heart-breakingly slow and with the House’s disco ball spinning white dots all over the room. This version was indeed teased-out, with Feist punctuating the bass-line notes on her guitar as her keyboardist and guitar player each stayed light during the verses, building up to a full-band sound along with the drummer at the chorus.

Right after “Mushaboom,” Feist bantered a bit with the audience, saying it was good to be in Boston and explaining that she knew Cambridge was a different place, and there’s a river involved [Cambridge is across the Charles]. She quickly, self-deprecatingly added that the crowd would now tell people that she says the stupidest things. Feist then continued to rock through songs such as “I Feel It All” and the popular “My Moon My Man,” off of 2007’s breakthrough album The Reminder, inviting the concert-goers to sing along on the outro while bopping her body as she sang and strummed her guitar.

Then she asked, checking the figurative pulse of the gathered, “Are you willing to continue this night with us?” A loud, collective and affirmative yell came back to her. She persisted: “Even if it involves climbing a mountain?” then launched into an impressive a cappella number with her backup singers/body shakers, all in long dresses and shawls.

A bit later, she presented “Get It Wrong, Get It Right” from her new album, Metals, which featured tight, chamber-rock harmonies. For the first song of the encore, Feist pulled out her take on the American folk song “Sea Lion Woman,” which she recorded as “Sealion” on The Reminder. This rendition was quite doo-woppy and was begun with the sound of a waterfall on a loop.

Feist concluded the night on “Let It Die” by informing the music-hall-full of people – in speak-song – that what she was playing would be the last chord of the night. When boos followed, she pulled rank humorously, saying that her and the band were in charge and would, in fact, be ending the concert. She thanked and called to mind the performance of three-piece opener Timber Timbre, who executed a set that played like one long, danceable folk-jam.

All in all, Feist and her band pleased, offering new takes on old material and old-fashioned tunes alike, while providing a near-continuous dialogue with the audience to usher in her new tracks. On the night, she proved her and Metal ’mettle.