Black Country, New Road began their first US tour without singer and guitarist Isaac Wood on Monday (9/5), stopping in NYC for matinee and evening shows at Bowery Ballroom. I went to the 8 PM show, where a line stretched around the block and down Bowery when I got there fifteen minutes before doors opened. After an opening set from Horsegirl (who headlined the same venue a month ago), the six members of Black Country, New Road took the stage. They've been playing sets of new music since Isaac's departure, with nothing from 2021's For the first time or this year's great Ants from Up There. Attendees may not have been as familiar with the new songs (outside of live videos from previous shows) as they would have been album cuts, but the new material was still very enthusiastically received. It's instantly rousing chamber pop, cathartic anthems and sweet sad songs, and it all sounded fantastic.
To close out the set, and after apologizing that they didn't have any more new songs to play, they covered Billie Eilish's "Happier Than Ever," bringing out Horsegirl to join them. Watch video of that and other fan-taken clips, and see pictures and the setlist from the evening show, below.