It was an unseasonably warm March night in Manhattan, and the coat-check girl appeared bored, as did the smattering of dour twentysomethings slouched on the long stretch of couch that lined the interior of the Mercury Lounge’s main room.

In two short hours, we would all witness husband and wife Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry of Handsome Furs deliver a ferocious set, combining muscular drum machine assaults, wayward shards of guitar noise and Boeckner’s tortured falsetto, cracking and swelling, teetering somewhere between the shambolic and the sublime.

Presently, though, Hundred In The Hands (a two-piece consisting of keyboards, guitar, drum machine and vocals), are winning over the crowd with a sultry blend of polyphonic vocals, reverb-laden guitars and razor sharp dance beats.

After a brief changeover, Iran (a band whose name guarantees inferior search engine placement), mounted the stage looking…well, conspicuously white. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, as some of the most enduring indie rock has been crafted by conspicuously white acts. But this indie rock act is supposed to include Kyp Malone on guitar. Lead singer Aaron Aites made no mention of the TV On The Radio guitarists’ absence and instead dove headlong into a set focusing largely on Iran’s new album, Dissolver. Dissolver is a decent enough effort, but it’s absent any newness or character, like the curiosity that helped define their heavily praised 2000 self-titled release.  As a Pavement redux, Iran are fine, but for a band once noted for their progressiveness, they failed to inspire little other than nostalgia…not to mention the traditional five-piece structure seemed superfluous in relation to the two-piece, streamlined look put forth by Hundred In The Hands and later, The Handsome Furs.

Iran exited to scattered applause as The Handsome Furs worked diligently to prep the stage. With their instruments in place, the pair announced they were stepping outside for a smoke. Twenty minutes later, Boeckner reappeared on stage, slipped a crumpled set list from his pocket and placed it on the floor in front of him as Perry effused: “We’re The Handsome Furs from Montreal, and it’s so f…ing nice to be here!” The Furs then launched into “Legal Tender,” the opening track on their new album, Face Control. The song’s heavily treated bass squalls and mechanized handclaps form the DNA blueprint that runs throughout Face Control. “Talking Hotel Arbat Blues” was next. “Talking…” sounds like an update of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” for the alienated, digital set. It’s infectious and loud and, most of all, fun. “All We Want Baby Is Everything” followed naturally. The three opening songs formed a seamless sequence, making one wonder why the album wasn’t programmed in the same order. “Evangeline” offered a slower pace but no less energy from Boeckner and Perry. Some fans, in rambling, online screeds, have charged Perry with the crime of dilettantism, claiming she’s a mere accessory to Boeckner’s immense talent.  Seeing The Furs live should disabuse anyone of this tired notion. Although her playing is slightly remiss at times, Perry’s stage performance is engrossing. Her incessant pogo and wild thrashing about are matched by the repeated smashing of her bare feet into the hardwood floor. Boeckner, too, is possessed. He convulses with an almost frightening intensity. Each strum and each vocal is invested with every last fiber of himself.

Although The Furs master in intensity, they manage to lighten the mood between songs with witty banter. Boeckner and Perry raffled off copies of Face Control by asking the audience arcane trivia questions like: “Who is Wayne Coyne’s favorite Canadian band?” Some kids shouted out, “Wolf Parade!” He shot back dryly, “No, sorry. It’s Arcade Fire.” Then Boeckner introduced the next song: “This one’s about cocaine and American cheese.” Just as cocaine and American cheese form an unholy union, “Thy Will Be Done” curiously mixes dancehall with what sounds like the opening drum pattern from Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” It’s not their strongest effort, but it’s evidence that even The Furs’ weaker material manages to succeed in some uncanny way. “Radio Kalingrad,” perhaps the strongest song on the album, closed out the set.

Boeckner and Perry then waved goodbye and tried, impossibly, to shrink into a small corner of darkness on the Mercury Lounge’s cramped stage. They returned seconds later for an encore. After playing one more song off the new album, they closed the evening with “Dead & Rural.” It’s the only song they played tonight from their first album, Plague Park. Normally, this would be a source of consternation, but the new album is so good and The Furs so infectious in their delivery, that the audience largely welcomed the barrage of new material. When the rapid-fire keyboard and tinny 808 snare kicked up, the crowd, sensing this was truly the last song of the night, began to erupt. The tangled, sweaty mess of bodies heaved from side to side.

The fans had finally managed to equal the energy released on stage. It was a euphoric climax to a monumental night and, as the house lights rose, Boeckner and Perry smiled broadly, taking an extra second to bask in the warm adulation of the sold-out New York City crowd.   

SET LIST

1. “Legal Tender”
2. “Talking Hotel Arbat Blues”
3. “All We Want Baby Is Everything”
4. “Evangeline”
5. “Nyat Spasiba”
6. “White City”
7. “Thy Will Be Done”
8. “Radio Kalingrad”

Encore:

9. “I’m Confused”
10. “Dead & Rural”