The The at Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn

Matt Johnson spent much of his youth in or around his family's pub in London, England. At age 11, he was in a band, Roadstar, and at age 15 left school in order to learn his trade in a recording studio. In 1977, the teenager posted a classified ad in a local music newspaper seeking like-minded musicians to form a band with him. While trying to get his band going, in 1978 Johnson recorded a demo solo album. The The began performing live as a duo in 1979, using backing tape tracks for the drums and bass.  In 1981 Johnson became a solo artist using the group moniker. The The then became a full band in 1988, and then a duo in 2002, before Johnson went into recluse in 2003, quietly recording numerous film soundtracks. Some followers might argue that the The was always a singular entity, a nom-de-studio vehicle for Johnson. In any case, Johnson has been the The's only constant band member. The The's fifth and most recent non-soundtrack studio album released (in contrast to numerous albums that were recorded and never released) is 2000's Nakedself.

The The's first full tour in 18 years included New York shows at Brooklyn Steel and the Beacon Theatre, with a band that consisted of vocalist/guitarist Matt Johnson, lead guitarist Barrie Cadogan, keyboardist DC Collard, bassist James Eller and drummer Earl Harvin. The set comprised songs from each of the band's released albums, including "I Saw the Light" from a 1995 album of Hank Williams covers. What has changed is that the music was no longer new wave, post punk or any sort of alternative rock. The songs were performed in largely mellow and mainstream dad-rock arrangements, with Johnson's rich baritone leading the way and the band supplying the oomf to make them burnished and buoyant. Electronic, mechanical and synthesized sounds were diminished compared to earlier recordings and tours. Many of the social commentaries in the Thatcher-era lyrics remained relevant (1986’s "Heartland" included the lyrics: “Let the poor drink the milk while the rich eat the honey, let the bums count their blessings while the rich count the money"), but now the tone was more reflective than resistant. For nearly two hours the The performed a warm and classy set of songs with clever arrangements for the contemporary age.

Visit the The at www.thethe.com.

Setlist:

1. Global Eyes
2. Sweet Bird of Truth
3. Flesh and Bones
4. Heartland
5. The Beat(en) Generation
6. Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)
7. We Can't Stop What's Coming
8. Beyond Love
9. Love Is Stronger Than Death
10. Dogs of Lust
11. Helpline Operator
12. This Is the Night
13. This Is the Day
14. Soul Catcher
15. Bugle Boy
16. Slow Emotion Replay
17. I Saw the Light (Hank Williams cover)
18. Like a Sun Risin Thru My Garden
19. Infected
20. I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)

Encore:

1. True Happiness This Way Lies
2. Uncertain Smile
3. Lonely Planet