PITTSBURGH — Fleet Foxes first time in Pittsburgh equaled a night of exquisite indie-rock.
Robin Pecknold's pretty voice, enhanced by the golden harmonies of his bandmates, especially bassist Christian Wargo, mesmerized a Benedum Center audience content to stay in its seats.
This wasn't a night loaded with showmanship — certainly a far cry from rock and roll hall-of-famer David Byrne and his marching band dancing for 90 minutes four nights earlier on that same stage.
Though anyone appreciative of sensitive lyricism, shifting dynamics and tightly executed stops and starts got their money's worth.
The Foxes' Morgan Henderson played a little of everything, including flute, upright bass, horn and guitar. Casey Wescott doubled up on organ and mandolin, and at one point provided a double shot of flute with Henderson. Through his mallet drum sticks and bass drum, Matt Barrick added a symphonic touch of grandeur.
The Seattle sextet started with "Grown Ocean" then the cumbersome titled "I Am All That I Need/Arroyo Seco/Thumbprint Scar," the leadoff track from 2017's "Crack-Up" album, on which Skylar Skjelset softly pulled a violin bow across his guitar strings not in a flashy way, but just to get that perfect, subtle texture he must hear in his head.
Fleet Foxes quickly got to their best-known song "White Winter Hymnal" -- maybe the only worthwhile thing from the 2015 Sewickley shot Diane Keaton-John Goodman holiday film "Love The Coopers." It's some of the finest, most breathtaking vocals and harmonies any indie rock band has ever achieved, and it had Pittsburgh fans, in shorts and other summery attire, bobbing their heads to Pecknold's poetic descriptions of red scarves and snow. Pecknold once said the song was influenced by "Whistle While You Work" from "Snow White."
"He Doesn't Know Why" was another standout, buoyed by such a lovely melody you could sing practically any words to it and it would still sound good. The band played another unusually titled newer one, "Naiads Cassadies" that had a nice Byrds-like jangle.
Pecknold's high, clear voice and somber guitar strumming rendered a lovely solo version of "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." Another elegant acoustic ballad, "If You Need To, Keep Time on Me," with just Pecknold and Wescott, on keys, gave the encore a stirring touch.
There wasn't much visually to get excited about; with so much dark lighting and occasional abstract video projections.
Pecknold said it felt good to finally play Pittsburgh, and at such a beautiful looking hall to boot. He remarked on the prevalence of the Carnegie name in Pittsburgh, prompting a wannabee comedian in the crowd to shout "We're all named Carnegie." Pecknold didn't miss a beat, firing back with a true comedian's timing, "So we're the Carnegie family reunion house band then?"
A few more moments like that, with the band pushing its earnestness aside and displaying a little more of their personality, would have been welcome.
But sound-wise, this was a special show.