NonCOMM Recap: Parquet Courts take the PRX Stage by storm

Parquet Courts | photo by Senia Lopez for WXPN | www.senialopez.photography

Just a few days ahead of the Parquet Courts’ 6th studio release, Wide Awake!, the rockers took to the upstairs stage at World Cafe to feature a handful of tracks tracks off the album. The band kicked off their set with album opener “Total Football,” a track that vocalist and guitarist A. Savage told DIY Magazine touches on “collectivity versus individualism and how, now more than ever, it’s important to celebrate what happens when we come together.” The tempo change from intro into the song (and then again transitioning to the outro) got the upstairs crowd moving early on.

Elsewhere in the set, the band played title track “Wide Awake.” The upbeat, calypso-esque drums and bouncy bassline care of Sean Yeaton had the crowd movin’ and groovin.’ The live rendition featured an extended jam section in the back half of the track, featuring clashing parts from both guitarists, and a funky keyboard line from Austin Brown following his guitar part.

The band came prepared with relevant banter longtime fans can know to expect at a Parquet Courts show, playing into jokes about AM, CB, and Ham radio (at the radio industry function), as well as some self aware jokes, teasing that this is just a preview of the banter you could find on a Parquet Courts live album. Check out the set below ahead of the album’s release later this week. 

Setlist: 
Total Football
Before the Water Gets Too High
Mardi Gras Beads
Wide Awake
Almost Had To Start A Fight/In And Out Of Patience
Freebird II