December 15, 2006
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
Walking toward the Bowery Ballroom, seeing so many fingers in the air looking for that one extra ticket to the New Deal’s sold-out show, was enough for me to know that I was in for another throw-down at the Bowery.
The energy level was high. Inside, fans were anxiously awaiting the musical threesome. When the lights turned on, spotlighting the stage, the room became alive. A sea of heads was rocking toward the stage, ready for the sound to come flooding through them.
The first set, from the opening notes, was passionately played. It was a non-stop dance party, including a cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday” that intensified the crowd’s reaction and made the floor vibrate under their feet.
The stage, framed by Christmas lights, gave off a warm glow. The lighting above the stage moved and danced atop drummer Darren Shearer, bassist Dan Kurtz and keyboardist Jamie Shields as they made their instrumental beats to keep the room dancing with those lights.
The energy of the first set glided perfectly into the second set, both onstage and in the crowd. The high notes on the keys penetrated the audience’s heads as the rumble from the drums put beats in their feet. Heartbeats followed the rhythm of the bass. The New Deal wants their fans to dance. When the three collide, the crowd goes wild, and naturally, they dance! The teasing and anticipation that draws the climax of a song bring a heightened drive that the fans crave. That feeling is the addiction that the band plays for,a and which the fans come for.
December marked the New Deal’s eight-year anniversary together. This once-small band from Toronto is far from small these days. The three laughed on stage together as Shearer mentioned how nerve-wracking it is for them coming to New York City to play. It’s still always a question in their minds whether or not their fans will come. As far as this addiction goes, it’s quite the healthy one.
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