there's nothing safe about this life

It took a little while, but it finally happened! Off to Largo to see Neil and Liam Finn together!

Neil and Liam Finn, Largo at the Coronet, August 18, 2018

I had every intention of catching one of Neil Finn's shows at Largo when he was preparing to tour with Fleetwood Mac. At the time, I was working from home and had all the freedom in the world. But after a couple of dates, they dried up. In the meantime, I got a "real" job, so my opportunities would've been limited anyway. Good thing, then, that Neil's next date -- coincidentally with Liam -- fell on a Saturday.

Neil Finn is one of my longtime favorites, and though I'm not as dedicated as I used to be, he's always a treat at Largo. A more qualified Largo regular will have to confirm whether this is the first official Neil and Liam co-headlining show. We've likely seen them together before, but not with this billing.

They started with Liam's "Bottled Up," then sort of traded turns, interspersing tracks from their new album along the way. They explained that in assembling the setlist, they favored the Crowded House songs that Liam heard while growing up, so we got a good chunk of Woodface and Together Alone, particularly tracks that have been somewhat lost to time. One friend cited "Anytime" as a beloved tune that we haven't heard in ages, and Neil trotted out the old chestnut of Liam's contributions to "Pineapple Head." Liam ended up taking Tim Finn's role on numerous tracks, including "Edible Flowers," though he went for a much more mischievous treatment. (Let's face it: That song is a downer, except for Neil's trademark soaring bridge.)

Unfortunately, two months after the show, I can't remember all the details of who played what and who said what. They jumped around on instruments a bit, with Neil doing a good chunk of piano. Liam did some goofy stuff on guitar, at one point coaxing a cosmic sweeping sound from his pedals and effects.

The real star of the show was the chemistry and bonhomie between the two Finns, and they had no problem professing their love and admiration for each other. At one point, Liam jumped on his dad's back -- with no harm to Neil! They were both incredibly earnest, but thankfully cut the sweetness with a lot of humor. We've reached the point in rock's history that parent-child duos have come along and shown that you can inherit (and nurture) talent, but it's always gratifying to see it with your favorite musicians.

Their styles contrast sharply, but somehow it works. In fact, maybe that's how the best partnerships function. Neil is sort of known as a pop genius, ever charming and understated, whereas Liam is an experimenter and a madman. Onstage, they slightly blur the line, with Neil encouraging the chaos, urging Liam to push the envelope (and the pedals). You marvel at the trust they share, not only with each other but with the Largo audience. Most performers of their stature and caliber wouldn't take the chance.

The new record is out now, so I won't bother trying to describe the songs (though I probably wouldn't have attempted to do so anyway). Instead, I'll note that the show was all Neil and Liam. Though we could hear Sebastian Steinberg's voice somewhere backstage, they didn't call on his services.

Look, this is hardly a news bulletin, but it's always worth saying: Go see Neil (and Liam) Finn at Largo, whenever you can.

See also:
» above you and beyond me too