Kevin Bronson on May 15th, 2016

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Andrew Bird’s new album “Are You Serious” got its night in the spotlight Saturday night, and a beautiful spotlight it was, in the equally beautiful Theatre at Ace Hotel.

Bird, playing the first of two sold-out nights, performed nine of the 11 songs on the new album and was especially grateful to have some help on “Left Handed Kisses” — a song that featured Fiona Apple on the album and on Saturday featured Fiona Apple in person. “I’ve been having to do that song every night by myself,” Bird said of his recent tour. “Some kind of mental gymnastics.” Apple would later return during the encore to join in “Oh Sister.” The rest of the show hopscotched around Bird’s career, featuring the likes of “Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left” (2005), “Plasticities” (2007), “Tenuousness” (2009) and “Three White Horses” (2012).

John Grant opened the night.

Photos by Samantha Saturday

Setlist: Journey to Satchidananda, Capsized, Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left, Tenuousness, Lusitania, Are You Serious, Truth Lies Low, Puma, Left Handed Kisses, Roma Fade, Three White Horses, Plasticities, Valleys of the Young, Pulaski At Night, Armchairs. Encore: Harvest (Neil Young cover), Oh Sister, Give It Away, The New Saint Jude