American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stephin Merritt leads his band The Magnetic Fields through every single track of their three-volume concept album, 69 Love Songs (1999), over the course of two evenings. Joined by band members Shirley Simms (ukulele), Sam Davol (cello, flute), Chris Ewen (keyboard) and Anthony Kaczynski (guitar), Merritt delivers this feat with virtuosity and humour, marshalling the band from his raised swivel chair. Audience laughter punctuates both nights’ sets, making the march through the lengthy three-disc album a jaunty one.

When released twenty-five years ago, the album’s monumental form tied it to other grand fin-de-siècle American projects. Akin to Don DeLillo with his novel Underworld (1997), Philip Roth with his novel American Pastoral (1997), and Thomas Pynchon with his novel Mason & Dixon (1997), Merritt was striving to summon something significant as the twentieth century closed. The sheer variety of styles has always made the album an expansive exploration of the history of the love song. When performed live, certain songs that might have lurked beneath the surface are given new life — “Washington, D.C.”, in particular, which is revitalised by Shirley Simms’ vocals.

Despite the insouciance of Merritt’s delivery, the emotion apparent in the songs seeps through, from the lyrics themselves and from the relentless energy that drives each one forward. Everyone in the audience comes with their own favourite clutch of songs from the album, but they might leave with different ones, thanks to this two-night gig. Whilst “Papa Was a Rodeo” proves filmic, and “The Night You Can’t Remember” seems to outlast the remarkably short track-time, it would be foolhardy to single out too many individual songs. The whole affair was the point: each song a brushstroke, that adds to a particoloured picture.

More so than at many gigs, there’s much at stake in this performance, because the audience knows which song is coming next. If not by memory, then by tally. The audience will on the band, leaning further and further towards them, until finally rising in an inevitable and heartfelt standing ovation.

Currently on tour across Europe and internationally until 2 November 2024.