Crossing the train tracks that led up to the concert venue, a stranger stopped me and asked, “Is this the way Heaven?” “No,” I said. “Basilica Hudson.” While my Field of Dreams film reference was undoubtedly missed on the man, music fans could have sworn they were in heaven on Wednesday night, November 8th, when legendary UK space rockers Spiritualized made their spectacular debut in Hudson, NY. Delivering a spellbinding tour-de-force performance that will be remembered for years to come, it was the kind of show that cracked you open, rearranged your insides, and sent you home wanting to be a more productive person.
Making a rare stateside appearance with only six East Coast dates, fans from all over made it a priority to be there. The unique venue known as Basilica Hudson provided the perfect launching pad for such a formidable occasion. Located in the industrial section of town, Basilica Hudson is actually an old, refurbished glue factory that was originally built in the 1880’s. Now a multi-purpose, energy efficient arts center along the city’s “South Bay” riverfront, many consider the spot to be a crown jewel of Hudson Valley concert halls. On this night it would also serve as our Space Station for the highly anticipated sold-out show that was presented by Chosen Family.
With the stage set against a starfield backdrop, things lifted off shortly after 8pm. The current Spiritualized juggernaut includes 9 band members spearheaded by our flight commander for the evening, Jason Pierce, better known by some as J. Spaceman. A revered songwriter with an almost cult-like following, it’s been no secret Pierce has been battling a number of health issues in recent years. Clinically pronounced dead twice at one point, indeed every show he plays these days is something of a miracle. Performing seated and wearing his trademark sunglasses, the veteran rocker who turns 58 this month, was showered with adoration and encouragement as the countdown to ignition finally commenced.
Like most Spiritualized shows in recent years, “Hey Jane” was selected as the opening number. Blasting off with some infectious high-octane psych-rock, the tone was set for the transformative journey ahead. Sounding massive from the very start, “She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit) kept the raw rock energy going as the room had now filled to capacity. Then hitting the rewind button and taking us back to where it all started, next was a song from the bands debut album, “Shine a Light,” from 1992’s Lazer Guided Melodies. Making this one count, the momentum really started building here, as sprawling layers of sonic distortion and cascading crescendos reached a new level intensity, matching the equally intense, pulsating light show. And just when you thought you couldn’t take it anymore, our captain gently brought us back down, effortlessly guiding the band into the chilled-out hypnotic groove of “I’m Coming Home Again” that conjured up some heavy Velvet Underground vibes.
A beautiful rendition of “A Perfect Miracle” proved to be an early highlight of the set, while “Always Together With You” took on an infectious astral-pop quality that saw Pierce’s lyrics playing up the bands outer space imagery. Cloaked in white robes, the minimal 3-girl gospel choir sounded beautiful together, adding intricate layers of harmony and filling in the space with “ohhhs” and “ahhhs” that contributed a great deal to the overall sound. Up next came a trio of songs from the album many, including Pierce himself, thought might be the bands last; 2018’s And Nothing Hurt. Flowing beautifully from fan favorite “I’m Your Man” into the hard charging “The Morning After,” and then capping it off with “Here it Comes (The Road) Let’s Go,” which from my perspective, received some of the loudest cheers of the evening.
The next portion of the night featured material from Spiritualized’s most recent release Everything Was Beautiful. Starting the sequence off with “Best Thing You Never Had (The D Song),” things got a little weird when suddenly a man jumped over the barricade and onto the stage. Basking in the spotlight for a moment, it was unclear if this was part of the act. As the band played on with perplexed looks of plausible concern, it soon became obvious that it was just some inebriated dude looking for attention. Then attempting to stage dive his way out of the awkward situation, fans in the front made zero attempt to catch him. The resulting splat that followed was amusing to some, but a complete mental distraction for others. To their credit, Spiritualized never missed a single note. If nothing else, the incident seemed to be an ice breaker, for as serious as this performance was, fans realized it was okay to let their hair down a bit as it was still a rock n’ roll show.
Idiot bastard, son of a gun
-Lyrics from The A Song (Laid in Your Arms)
Heaven is easy, your living is done
Take it down easy, won’t know what you’ve done
And we’re gone.
Resetting the coordinates now, the deliberately hypnotic buildup of “Let It Bleed (For Iggy) produced massive moments of introspection and then euphoria, while the hard charging angst of “The A Song (Laid in Your Arms)” furthered the momentum into another deafening climax where Pierce seemingly confronts his demons while pondering over his lasting legacy. Looking even deeper within, Pierce confessed he’s “Damaged” while lamenting the lines “I wanna just close my mind / Feel like I’m floating on a ship out of time.” Soaring forward with cathartic, blissed-out beauty, “Soul on Fire” achieved an almost orchestral peak, despite there being no string or horn section. While the crowd sang along to its repeating chorus, the magnitude of the moment was enough to make the hair on your neck stand up. Acknowledging his struggles with addiction once more, “Sail on Through” would bring the main portion of the show to a jaw-dropping close.
So long you pretty thing, God save your little soul
-Jason Pierce
The music that you played so hard ain’t on your radio
And all your dreams and diamond rings and all that rock and roll can bring you
Sail on, so long.
After a few moments of silence off stage, Spiritualized would sail on with a passionate rendition of their psychedelic space pop manifesto “So Long You Pretty Thing.” The final song of the night was also the loudest. Encoring with the lone track from the bands 1997 undisputed masterpiece Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space, “Come Together” nearly blew the roof of Basilica Hudson and put an emphatic stamp on a life-affirming performance that simply shook the audience to the core. Standing up and facing them for the first time all night, Pierce would humbly take a bow and gracefully exit to a chorus of both cheers and tears. Mesmerizing and beautiful, heart wrenching, vulnerable and honest, it was the rare type of performance that satisfied all of your senses and filled you with hope. The type of show that made you feel lucky to be alive and grateful for the struggle. A little piece of Heaven right there there in Hudson, NY.
Spiritualized | November 8,2023 | Basilica Hudson | Hudson, NY
Setlist: Hey Jane, She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit), Shine A Light, I’m Coming Home Again, A Perfect Miracle, Always Together With You, I’m Your Man, The Morning After, Here it Comes (The Road) Let’s Go, Best Thing You Never Had (The D Song), Let It Bleed (For Iggy), The A Song (Laid in Your Arms), Damaged, Soul on Fire, Sail on Through
Encore: So Long You Pretty Thing, Come Together
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