The String Cheese Incident’s current summer tour stopped in Brooklyn last night for the first show of a two-night stint at the historic King’s Theatre. One of King’s County’s hidden gems, the nearly 90-year-old movie theater was repurposed as a concert venue in 2010. With a newly revamped outdoor courtyard for pre-show/setbreak mingling, the venue was able to provide the communal atmosphere that normally falls by the wayside at city shows without a lot scene (PSA: The bar outside is a nice addition, but be warned. You can’t bring “inside” drinks out, and you can’t bring “outside” drinks in — plan accordingly tonight).
But the real magic of this venue is inside — with ornate carvings and moldings blanketing the theatre’s cavernous ceiling, an extravagant chandelier, and elegant draping curtains adorning the stage, King’s Theatre immediately transports you back in time. And while the room took care of time, the Cheese was what sent the audience to outer space.
The first set was your relatively standard-great String Cheese first set, including a well-executed cover of the Talking Heads’ classic “Life During Wartime”. But for the second set, the band channeled the 90+ degree heat outside with a heater of their own. The set had all of the peaks and valleys you look for at a String Cheese show — expertly played instrumental compositions (featuring Michael Kang, as always, shining on the violin), joyous sing-a-longs, raging, raucous peaks, beautiful improv, an incredible drum jam segment from the band’s one-two punch of a rhythm section (Jason Hann and Michael Travis), and even some EOTO-type electronic breakdowns, all coming together to spur an all-out dance party for the visibly elated crowd.
After a short break, the band returned to send the crowd off singing, with a rousing cover of the Grateful Dead’s “I Know You Rider.” After an incredible evening in an incredible setting, one thing is clear: you need to stop what you’re get your ass to King’s Theatre tonight for night two.
Thanks to these gracious Instagrammers, you can enjoy some snippets from last night’s show below:
String Cheese Incident @ King’s Theatre in Brooklyn, NY 8/13/16 Setlist:
SET 1: Johnny Cash, Betray The Dark, Falling Through The Cracks, Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance, Until The Music’s Over, Born On The Wrong Planet > Life During Wartime > Colliding
SET 2: You’ve Got The World, These Waves > Djibouti Bump > Search, Hi Ho No Show, Joyful Sound, Looking Glass > Shine
ENCORE: I Know You Rider
[photos by Jeremy Scott]