After getting the chance to talk with the delightful Emily Hope Price and Jeremy Styles of Pearl and the Beard, I was excited to see the band play in concert at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. They did not disappoint. Brian Bonz opened the night with a charmingly brazen set that mixed standup comedy with sugary songs about serious stuff. Franz Nicolay (formerly of the Hold Steady) delighted the audience with accordion, banjo, and guitar. With a waxed mustache, ostrich leather shoes, and a bottle of wine, he was part vaudeville act and part circus showman, but his songs were substantive and impressive.
Pearl and the Beard took the stage last and left a lasting impression. Far from the sugary pop group many reviews would lead you to believe they are, the trio played a soulful set that combined old favorites with newer tunes. Standouts included "Douglas, Douglas," "Sweetness," and a new as-yet-untitled track that the band had never played live. "Just keep in mind," Styles told the crowd, "that this is the worst we will ever play this song."
Needless to say, it was stellar. Pearl and the Beard closed with "Oh, Death," and nearly the entire audience sang along, lending the trio a hand. I came into the show a fan; I left a believer.