Kevin Bronson on October 9th, 2014

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Scottish indie-pop ensemble Belle and Sebastian regaled the Theatre at Ace Hotel on Monday night with good tunes and good vibrations, with frontman Stuart Murdoch engaging fans in conversation and inciting a dance party in the aisles and on stage. The band’s career-spanning set kicked off with “Judy Is a Dick Slap” and included favorites such as “The Stars of Track and Field,” “A Century of Fakers,” “The Boy With the Arab Strap” and “Like Dylan in the Movies.” 1996 never sounded so good. The ensemble played two new songs, “Allie” and “The Party Line,” from their forthcoming ninth album (due in January). Murdoch – in good spirits, he said, because the band was staying at the hotel and liked the idea “of doing soundcheck in my PJs” – invited four couples on stage to dance to one song, then at the end invited a slew more. The band played “Another Sunny Day” and “The Blues Are Still Blue” for the encore. Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene opened the show.

Photos by David Benjamin