FINK BLOWS THE CROWD AWAY AT THE MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG

When I mentioned to people I was going to see Fink play at Music Hall of Williamsburg this past Saturday, I was met with two reactions – instant recognition with impassioned declarations of how the band has changed their life, or quizzical, blank stares. This reaction has been the commonplace it seems since I found out about the band almost 5 years ago, but their fan base came out in droves for their first New York show in years.

As I made my way to the venue, the line formed quickly, and was extremely diverse, from young to old, hippie to hipster. People told me they traveled from other states and countries to see Fink perform and it was evident that this show would be one for the record books.

Opening for Fink was British singer/songwriter Douglas Dare, who along with drummer Fabian Prynn sounded like the most amazing mashup of James Blake and Elton John. I immediately loved his sound, and so did the crowd, who surprisingly didn’t supply the usual “talking through the opening band” welcome. Dare’s vocals take center stage; the lyrics punctuated by electronic flourishes, piano, and crisp drumming. I wouldn’t hesitate to see them again if the opportunity arises.

As the stage was prepared for Fink, the crowd went wild with cheers and applause as the guys readied their instruments themselves. It was obvious that they were extremely accessible and approachable, many of the band members chatting with the crowd in line and in between sets. Their humbleness was extremely refreshing and put everyone in a great mood.

After another round of deafening applause and cheers, the show got underway. Their stage setup was ordered chaos. I counted 8 guitars total, 4 of them solely for lead singer/guitarist Fin Greenall alone. The drummer, Tim Thornton, was right up front next to Fin, which is a setup I wish more bands would employ. Drummers are often the unsung heroes in the background and provide a lot of entertainment. Bassist Guy Whittaker and guitarist Chris Nicholls flanked them. Behind the band was an intricate web of spotlights primed to flash and flicker in time with the music. It was intense, but perfect for Fink’s music. Shouts of “Fin, I love your beard!!”, “Tim, you’re perfect!!”, and the ever present “I LOVE YOU!!” was heard many times throughout the night. I was baffled as to why Fink isn’t more well known with such a great fan base and consistently strong albums and live shows.

This show was no exception. Fin’s voice held the perfect smoky blues that we all knew and loved. The band was cohesive and in sync at every turn. I was witnessing musicianship at the highest level. They weaved old crowd favorites like “Wheels”, “Warm Shadow”, This Is The Thing” and “Sort of Revolution” in with newer songs like “Pilgrim”, “Looking Too Closely” and “Green & Blue”, the latter that they admitted they had only played live once and were still working on how to end it. They absolutely nailed it.

This show seemed to fly by, and I did not want it to end. The crowd felt the same. Fin looked taken aback at the extremely positive reception and overwhelming cheers from the crowd as the show ended. I can hope it’s a sign to them that we are more than ready for Fink to tour the states more often than once every few years.

Article by: Lesley Keller