By Max Gelber
The lights slowly dimmed as Atlanta’s Manchester Orchestra took to the stage. Singer Andy Hull slowly stalked the microphone, opening the set alone, strumming his guitar and crooning the lyrics to “How I Waited,” his voice cracking slightly.
Manchester Orchestra co-headlined a three-band show at 9 p.m. Friday at Great Scott in Allston. The band, which formed in 2005, stopped in Boston as part of a short tour with co-headliners Annuals before continuing its international tour with Kings of Leon.
With the audience in the palm of Hull’s hand after “How I Waited,” drummer Jeremiah Edmund joined in with the robotic beat of the intro of “Wolves at Night.” The song kicked the show into overdrive, with an infectious chorus that had the audience belting the words along with Hull.
Fresh off the previous night’s performance on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” the band began with a lull, continued with a bang and never let go throughout the night, filling its set with songs from their latest album I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child.
The evening was driven by the pained crooning of Hull’s vocals and a band with a sound more tight and polished than bands that have been playing longer.
The Never, with guest David Feldman on the cello, began the evening with its blend of indie rock stylings and French chamber pop. The combination was fitting for a band with a perfect grasp of harmony and song-writing.
The Never was the most chatty band of the evening, with singer Smith joking about Manchester Orchestra’s singer Andy Hulls supposed disregard for stopped school buses.
“[That’s a] five point deduction on the [North Carolina] driving test,” quipped the band’s drummer Jonny Tunnell.
Witty banter aside, the band’s set was filled with songs from its CD and 50-page storybook, Antarctica, illustrated by the band’s singer/guitarist Noah Smith. Songs like the set opener “Cavity,” “The Witch” and a song about a “lonely, lonely vampire” illustrated the band’s lush, harmony-rich and melodic sound.
Annuals played an epic, if somewhat long winded, set of more than a dozen songs. The band, which went on second, showcased a love for experimentation, throwing standards to the wind, with members switching from one instrument to another without warning.
At one point, two keyboardists gave the band a sense of soaring melody. In another instance, two drummers created a bombastic, driving wall of sound. Singer Adam Barker interchanged guitars, keyboards, drums and percussion.
Annuals’ set was the most intense of the evening, with very few breaks for banter between the band and the audience. Though the set was extensive, they took every moment and ran with it, playing with pure emotion and infectious energy. What the band lacked in melodies and polish they made up for in ambitious and powerful instrumentation.
