Indie legends The Microphones played a late night set last Tuesday (March 8, 2022) at St. Ann’s and Holy Trinity Church. The venue is known for hosting other indie favorites such as Nick Cave and Sonic Youth over the years.
Emily Sprague opened the show with a warm acoustic set consisting of five songs. The themes of death and darkness in her songs contrasted with the bright personality that showed when she briefly thanked the audience in the middle and end of her set.
Microphones’ Phil Elverum and Jay Blackinton took to the stage to applause from the crowded pews, the dim lighting and calm atmosphere lulling the audience into a state of silence. You could hear the seats moving and the historic church floor creaking before they started their set. They laughed and thanked the crowd before starting their set, commenting on the awkwardness of standing on stage before the songs started playing.
They played just one song, their 45-minute track “Microphones in 2020,” a semi-biographical, two-chord meditation on their career that was released in 2020 after the band’s nearly 17-year absence. By the time their set ended, the crowd looked almost giddy. It took the audience a minute to realize the show was over, and they gave a standing ovation and hearty cheers as Phil and Jay left the stage.
You can listen to The Microphone’s catalog here. And you can find Emily Sprague’s music here.