Isis/Pelican Live at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, New York 6/2/09

Anyone who read my album review knows I’ve recently started listening to Isis again with the release of Wavering Radiant. Earlier this month I decided to go seem them live for the first time in four years. It turned out they were playing with former touring mates, Pelican, which helped make everything feel familiar.

First up on the bill was Tombs. They were a pretty decent doom metal band. I spent a lot of their set meeting with and catching up with friends. Sorry, Tombs.

Next up was Pelican, another band I haven’t seen in a while. They still put on a really good show. Anyone who hasn’t seen them should check them out. I’m not sure why, but I always like them A LOT more live than on their albums (which I think are good). I’m not too sure what they played, but I know they played a song from their debut EP and a cover of Earth’s Geometry of Murder which is on their new EP, Ephemeral.

After that was Isis. They opened with lead-off track from their new album, Hall of the Dead. In typical fashion they went on to play stuff primarily from their current album. One thing that’s changed since I’ve last seen them is they play a little more of their back catalog, which is pretty cool (although I do respect a band with confidence in their new release). They played nearly all of Wavering Radiant and one song from each of their previous full-lengths. They closed with Carry from Oceanic. After that, they returned for an encore of Celestial (The Tower) from their first album.

Great Show. Here’s the setlist:

Hall of the Dead
20 Minutes / 40 Years
Dulcinea
Threshold of Transformation
Ghost Key
In Fiction
Hand of the Host
Carry

Celestial (The Tower)

Photos are by Matt Foglia

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