Free at Noon Flashback: Shearwater lights up the stage at World Cafe Live

Shearwater | Photo by Breanna Keohane for WXPN

Indie rock band Shearwater made an appearance for today’s Free at Noon concert at World Cafe Live. As just one stop along their North American tour, frontman Jonathan Meiburg told Philadelphia that they were up at 7a.m. ready to rock, and they did not disappoint.

The Austin, Texas- natives have a psych rock vibe with quirky keyboard tunes and lots of guitar vibrato, and the atmosphere of World Cafe was complimented with colored light beams illuminating the band. They debuted songs off of their new album Jet Plane and Oxbow kicking off the set with “Prime.” The album is what Meiburg described as his take on a protest album, featuring tunes influenced by the current presidential election.

Shearwater’s sound has a David Bowie influence, including Meiburg’s powerful voice, which was apparent as the band performed a Bowie cover for an encore. Meiburg explained that while recently coming back from traveling, he was inspired after listening to the album Lodger. He then decided to take that opportunity and perform cover songs in memory.

Jet Plane and Oxbow is available now for download. Listen back to today’s Free at Noon concert and check out the photo gallery below.

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Setlist:

1. Prime
2. Filaments
3. Quiet Americans
4. You As You Were
5. Wildlife in America
6. Pale Kings
7. Backchannels
8. Stray Light at Clouds Hill