Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds/St. Vincent @ Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY 4/17/25

Bill: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds/St. Vincent

Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Date: Thurs 4/17/25

Ticket: $56.90 (Box K8 via StubHub)

8:25 pm Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Active: 1983 (Melbourne, Australia)

Affiliated: The Birthday Party (1977-1983), Grinderman (2006-2013). The Boys Next Door (1973-1978)

Latest Release: Wild God (Bad Seed/Play It Again Sam, 2024)

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7:00pm St. Vincent

Active: 2006 (Los Angeles, Dallas, NYC...)

Affiliated: The Polyphonic Spree (Dallas, TX, 2003-4)

Latest Release: All Born Screaming (Total Pleasure, 2024)

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I've had a bit of a hobbled week with a knee injury so I made my return to the live music world "fancy" style buying a box seat for around $60 in the aisle at Barclays Center for Nick Cave.  Some friends of mine had bought section 225 above but that section was going for $78 and the box below was $57 last minute.    Of course, within an hour I got an email from DoNYC that I had won tickets up in heaven but that's how it goes.  I was curious what the "Free Food and Drink" aspect was for the box--the sliders were actually good small cheeseburgers, the chicken strips were kind of leather shoe tasting dry chicken strips and I skipped the fries.  They gave you free bottled water and soda but if you wanted beer you had to spring $20.  Also no pushing off food til the end, that was cleaned up mid-headliner so if you get bored and long to grab a last cheeseburger, tough titties!  However, I will say if you come to the arena hungry and want some water you could easily spend 40 or 50 bucks if you are desperate.  This has happened to me in the past if not so much this evening, so it's an option to keep in the back of your head if you are getting a show at Barclays last minute and don't mind being walled off from the crowd with see through "spit guards" in your sight view.  The last time I had this type of box situation was at Madison Square Garden for REM like 20 years ago and I think then there was some crappy hot dogs and some beer in a small fridge you could take, so this is a step up sans free beer.

As for Nick Cave and the current Bad Seeds (where’s Mick? “He’s gone…”) ,  I've seen him on a regular basis over the last 25 years or so, but this was the first time ever in an arena.  Usually with Nick Cave it has been the Beacon Theatre.  The last show I saw was with Warren Ellis who is a Bad Seed now.  The first time was in the early 2000's where I was in the front obstructed by piano.  I seem to remember a trip to Philly at the Electric Factory but I thought it was longer ago that 2017.  Maybe not.  

I actually know Wild God fairly well now.  When I was visiting my father around Christmas he was asking what were the big albums that year and we listened to the stream of Jack White which got Mojo album of the year.  We both wondered why, it wasn't particularly good.  Wild God was up there so we listened to that next.  He heard Ghosteen 5 years before and didn't like it that much and although he loves Dylan, Tom Waits, Lou Reed poet rock types he still didn't think much of the album initially.  But then the record went back to the beginning, and he was starting to pick out things on Wild God he thought were good, even things toward the start of the record he initially dismissed.  The story is famous now that Dylan himself saw Nick Cave recently and liked the line "We've all had too much sorrow, now is the time for Joy."  Or at least agreed with it.

"Joy" indeed was played as were 7 other songs from the albums, so roughly a third of the show.  A friend of mine wrote that he was going to the after party at Berlin and asked what I thought of the show.  I wrote back "I always like him, kind of a regular" to which he sent a thumbs up emoticon. Then I thought about it and wrote "the grief-stricken preacher thing is getting a little stale, but it is making him more popular." That inspired a heart emoticon.  I don't know if I could give a more honest assessment.  

For me the songs of the night were the golden oldies: "From Her To Eternity" and "Tupelo."  I guess you could throw "The Mercy Seat" in there also.  With "Tupelo"  Nick let us know that he felt Elvis was the best thing to ever come out of this country.   Funny how that used to be uncontroversial opinion for someone like Cave born in 1957.  For what he represents, chief patron scribe of goth or whatever, that might be taken for heresy.  

Before the show I met friends from the section above me at Alchemy on 5th Ave down the street and was told how Warren Ellis' book revolved around gum Nina Simone left on the piano after opening for Cave, that was commandeered and collected and written about in posterity.  I was casually enjoying the hang, looked at the clock and it was 6:57.  Knowing St. Vincent was to start at 7 I asked for the check and 15 minutes later finally got it, cashed out, got through the airline-like Jet Blue short line security and caught the final song and a half of St. Vincent.  Not even time for me to get a clip after taking a few snaps!  She called out sick for Boston a couple nights ago but did "Violent Times" on Colbert's show yesterday.  She indeed started 7 sharp and I  missed 8 songs and got in the middle of "Sugarboy" before she wrapped with the title track of her new album "All Born Screaming."  The last time I saw her was also a 45 minute set opening for Roxy Music's reunion show a few years back. That's the way it goes.  

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:

Various Artists-The Score (2002)