Ingrid Michaelson!

I feel like I haven't seen a sold out show in a very long time, if ever. Royal Oak Music Theater was packed!

Unlike the last time I was at ROMT, the audience was actually nice to Pearl and the Beard. That may have had something to do with the fact that they were awesome! It also may have helped that they were very interactive. They had the audience clapping along with songs like "Sweetness," among others. Pearl and the Beard returned the favor, giving props to the audience, and to the venue. That's the first time I can remember anyone thanking the behind-the-scenes sound guys.

All of the members are talented enough to play and sing simultaneously, which for a three piece band is excellent because it allows for great harmonies. The vocals also had some abrupt tonal and volume changes which kept the songs from getting boring.

The cellist was a lot of fun to watch. She really got into her parts and it was especially neat to watch her because you don't often get to see strings players at pop concerts. That made "Black Hole of Calcutta" exciting because it was all cello. There was even a cello solo! And later, the percussionist busted out a kazoo! Kazoos are hilarious. And sweet.

Pearl and the Band performing at Royal Oak Music Theater

And one more for good measure

A lot of the other concertgoers really enjoyed them, too. According to Bernadette S, the main vocalist had a great voice that reminded her of Adele. She and her group of friends described Pearl and the Band as very different from other stuff that they had heard, and they mentioned that they'd definitely recommend them to their friends. They were also described as "Folk, but not," which, although not terribly descriptive, is accurate. Songs like "Hot Volcano" reminded me a lot of Murder by Death.

Then it was time for Ingrid Michaelson. The entire venue erupted in a cheer when she walked on stage. It was MUCH louder than I expected it to be. But it was warranted. I'm glad everyone got into the music. Actually, I'd really like to hear some of the sing-alongs, like for "Soldier" or "The Way I Am." The audience harmony for "Ribbons" sounded a little off at the time, but that may have sounded better from the stage.

Ingrid is hilarious, by the way. I felt like I was partly at a stand up comic show and partly at a concert. She told some great stories including one about her Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade experience. She also kept it interesting by moving/dancing around for songs when she wasn't playing an instrument.

And Ingrid's band gets props for taking a picture of us in the audience. That was kinda neat and definitely unexpected. I'm slightly disappointed that I missed her when she came to Seattle, but I'd love to see her perform again. I'll just need to keep in mind that her shows do sell out, so I need to plan ahead and get tickets in advance.

Ingrid performing at the Royal Oak Music Theater on the guitar

And with her band

I took a few videos of her, too, available here. It surprised me how involved the crowd got. They did a lot of singing. It was really good for "The Chain" because a huge part of that song is the harmonizing. Just a heads up, Skydrive is being weird right now. You might need to download them first to see them.