CONCERT REVIEW: Pinegrove @ The Lincoln Theater
It was exactly 11:11 PM on February 24th when Evan Stephens Hall stopped singing mid-song and announced the time to a crowded Lincoln Theater. Numerologist and New Agers ascribe different meanings to this iconic palindrome. To some, 11:11 signals a good time to make a wish, or talk to the spirits, but to the Pinegrove fan, the “angel number” embodies the theme (and title) of the band’s most recent album. Released in 2022 on Rough Trade Records and mixed by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, 11:11 explores Hall’s climate anxiety and the fear of humanity’s destructive relationship with nature. While playing through a massive set that included the entirety of the new album, Hall and the band shared their appreciation and inherent concern for the world with the concert goers of Washington, DC.
Before Pinegrove hit the stage the audience was introduced to Poise and the bedroom-pop tunes of Lily Konigsberg. Poise is the New York City-based project of singer/songwriter Lucie Murphy. Their set featured songs from the band's self released 2021 album Vestiges. Lily Konigsberg was joined on stage by, as she put it, the Lily K Band. Together they ran through tracks from Konigsberg’s forth full length album Lily We Need to Talk Now which was released in 2021 on Wharf Cat Records.
Flashes of green and yellow filled the room as Pinegrove hit the stage. The band’s live production reflected the themes referenced in their newest album. The stage lights emitted colors often found in nature and the band was flanked by plastic flora. Hall opened the set with “Alaska”, a fan favorite and a song in which he directly references the time 11:11. After playing all 11 songs from their new record, the band played some select tracks from previous releases including “The Alarmist”, “New Friends”, and “Angelina”.
Before closing out the night, Hall announced that there wouldn’t be an encore and thanked everyone for coming out, which is something that more bands should be doing in my opinion. The show ended with “Size of the Moon” which incorporates a satisfying build up with a cathartic release, something that we all deserve in these troubling times. The only negative aspect of the night’s setlist would be the omission of the fan favorite “Old Friends”, which is still the band’s most streamed song across all platforms. But just like any other band with a well loved hit, they must be tired of playing it every night since 2016.
