Field Report- Pabst Theater, 10/22/14

“And a very happy Field Report Day to YOU,” Christopher Porterfield stated, humbly coming forward to the microphone donned in a classic brown suit, bowing slightly to the packed crowd of devoted Milwaukee music fans who came out to see a local musical hero return home for his album release party on a Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett dropped by the 88.9 Radio Milwaukee studios while Field Report was playing a studio session to officially declare
today, “Field Report Day” in Milwaukee. This honor seemed somewhat overwhelming for Porterfield who has been thrust into the local limelight of celebrity on account of his band’s stellar release “Marigolden,” which came out on New York-based indie label Partisan Records a little more than two weeks ago.

For their triumphant set in front of a captivated hometown crowd Field Report played their entire new album, “Marigolden,” along with a few tactfully-peppered-in tunes from their 2010 self-titled debut, for what amounted to a magical evening of music.

Field Report’s lush sound was crafted by a tremendously talented trio of musicians which featured songwriter Christopher Porterfield on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Madison native, Tom Wincek (of All Tiny Creatures and Volcano Choir), a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in electronic music, on keyboards, bass and layering sounds, and drummer, banjo player and harmonizing vocalist Shane Leonard gluing the whole outfit together.

The collective talents of these three virtuoso musicians gelled to create a beautifully rich sound that captivated the enormously respectful crowd at the Pabst Theater. You could literally hear a pin drop in between numbers at this show, as fans sat on the edge of their seats soaking up the sonic landscape of tales weaved together by Field Report.

 

Field Report Trio

The set opened with “Decision Day,” the uplifting opener off of Marigolden, and transitioned seamlessly into the first single off the album, “Home (Leave the Lights On).” With merely two tracks in, the audience was completely sucked into the performance, engaged and mesmerized by the sheer amount of textured music created by these three gentlemen. The third track of the evening, the somberly haunting, “”Pale Rider,” delivered its gut-wrenching tale with raw emotion and a terrific visual complement of white spot lights shown down on the musicians. For “Cups and Cups,” Porterfield employed a vocal distortion which gave the tune an added layer of complexity. It was apparent early on in the show that Tom Wincek, while unassuming in stage presence, was octopus-like in juggling a myriad of instruments, triggering electronic loops, and essentially serving as the sonic architect for the group.

In what many may consider the highlight of the set, Wincek and Leonard left the stage for the fifth track, “Ambrosia.” Porterfield declared, “We’ve got all sorts of honesty up here,” as he removed his glasses, telling how he sometimes awkwardly would hit them on the mic as he’d sing on this number. He then took the time to thank everyone, including the Pabst/Riverside crew for making this performance such a special evening. Stark, raw and pulling from the heart, “Ambrosia,” was delivered with earnest emotion which captivated the crowd. In somewhat of a surprising move, the band launched into a powerful track from their self-titled debut, “I’m Not Waiting Anymore” next, featuring the whole band back on stage and Porterfield (sans glasses) on the keys.

Having now hit his stride of confidence on stage, Porterfield transitioned from the keyboard back to his primary post as guitarist, frankly recounted to the crowd how he just realized that for about 20% of the shows he’s played up until then he’s most likely had his fly down. This drew laughter from the crowd and smiles from the singer, whose brutal honesty in his craft is what bonded everyone in the audience together after all.

Back on guitar, Porterfield launched the band launched into “Wings,” which was awe inspiring live as the track is so intricately layered on the record. “Marigolden,” followed, the title track off of Field Report’s recent release, filled with symbolism of how we all bloom, fade and prune as individuals as we journey throughout life. The band then segued into “Michelle,” which featured the beautiful keyboard melody anchoring down the track.

In my recent interview with Porterfield, he promised some rearrangements of older tracks for the show. However, no one could have anticipated what happened next. Unplugging their instruments, the band ventured to the center of the stage with a lone microphone between the three men. Porterfield and Wincek armed with acoustic guitars, and Leonard with a banjo, proceeded to deliver a stripped down mini-set consisting of “Talking Alcatraz,” and “Fergus Falls,” which ended with a thundering round of applause from the audience.

Plugged back into their regular instruments after the acoustic interlude, the band played “Summons,” an uplifting and hopeful tale which showcases Porterfield’s mastery of using negative space in his songwriting to allow the audience to fill in the gaps and insert their own experiences into the tale. The crowd crooned along as they sang the chorus, “I’m coming home to you,” along with the musicians on stage. “Enchantment,” the final track off of “Marigolden,” unsurprisingly concluded the set and caused the crowd to erupt in a sea of applause, delivering a standing ovation for the band. Porterfield returned to the stage for “Route 18,” from his debut release to conclude the show and leave the crowd both satisfied and yearning for more all at the same time.

As a songwriter, Porterfield has taken a huge step forward with “Marigolden,” and the live record release show will go down as one of my musical highlights of the year. The honesty and raw emotion of the tunes on the album came across wonderfully live and made the audience leave the exquisitely beautiful Pabst knowing they experienced a remarkable evening of music which will be talked about in this town for years to come. Bravo, Field Report, you nailed it!

review was originally published at http://ozaukeemag.com
All photos courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch