Broken Bells brings a little warmth to a frigid Chicago

December 5, 2010, at the Vic Theatre

By Emi Peters
Published: December 8th, 2010 | 7:00am

As the temperature dropped to inconceivably low digits outside, the boys of Broken Bells—Shins front man James Mercer and super producer Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse—carried out a well-executed, performance inside the Vic Theatre, giving fans temporary relief of Chicago’s notorious winter weather.

Performing as part of XRT’s Holiday Concert for the Kids show, the duo hit the stage with a five-piece backing band around 8:30 and proceeded to plow through a short but precise set that clocked in at a little over an hour. Kicking off the evening was “October,” followed by the sleepy “Your Head is on Fire” and “The Ghost Inside.” The tight set encompassed every track from the self-titled debut, plus a few extras, including “Insane Lullaby,” Mercer’s contribution to Dark Night of the Soul, Burton’s collaboration with Sparklehorse that featured guest vocals from an array of indie superstars.

While Mercer stayed front and center with his guitar, a very quiet Burton glided effortlessly from piano to drum kit to guitar and back again throughout the night—and sometimes during the same song—showing off a versatile finesse that rivaled his fellow band mates.

Overall, the show revealed few surprises, the exception being the new song “Meyrin Fields” which brought heavy-hitting electronic beats and high energy to an otherwise subdued set. Another high point came during the encore, with Burton and Mercer coming back out alone to perform a cover of Neil Young’s classic “Don’t Let It Bring You Down.” Mercer strained to give his best Young impression, while Burton actively played the keys.

The rest of the band returned to the stage for “Mongrel Heart” and ended on a high note with an electrifying rendition of “The Mall & Misery,” during which Burton and Mercer bowed out near the end of the song, leaving the rest of the group to play out their instruments and the audience to brave the freezing temps once again.

Broken Bells official site

Broken Bells MySpace page

Capitol Records