I want the whole damn world to come dance with me

May 31, 2012 9:56 AM

Edward Sharpe's new video for MAN ON FIRE goes to cheer gyms, double dutch practice spaces, and dance studios, focusing on both performers and observers, then takes the glorious action to the streets.
posted by roger ackroyd (26 comments total)

I've never been much of a ballet aficionado, but the NYC Ballet finale was rapturous.
posted by etc. at 10:04 AM on May 31, 2012 [7 favorites]

Awesome - and the whole album is on Spotify :)
posted by zeoslap at 10:13 AM on May 31, 2012

Nice song. For a guy who, at first glance, seems to be all about bombast, I'm continually impressed by the understated quality of his songwriting and the production.
posted by saul wright at 10:27 AM on May 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

That's nice, I like the video quite a bit.
posted by edgeways at 10:37 AM on May 31, 2012

Set...

Aperture...

To...

1.4!!!!!
posted by alex_skazat at 10:38 AM on May 31, 2012 [2 favorites]

I'll be seeing them two days from now at a festival. I will pirouette from the crowd, see if I get noticed.
posted by youandiandaflame at 10:44 AM on May 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

Very nice find, thanks for posting.
posted by Outlawyr at 10:50 AM on May 31, 2012

How do you know what I'm currently listening to??? Seriously, that is weird, I picked up the album on Amazon's sale and just queued it up.
posted by Runes at 11:24 AM on May 31, 2012

Wow, there's something amazingly joyful about that video. I found it impossible to stop smiling while watching. Thanks for sharing!
posted by lord_wolf at 11:59 AM on May 31, 2012 [2 favorites]

I love this video so hard right now. Thanks for sharing it! It makes me just want to dance and frolic like a kid. :) :) :)
posted by jillithd at 12:04 PM on May 31, 2012

I watched their show on the stream from Hangout Festival. This is a band that obviously likes performing, and likes their fans. It's good to see that when so many artists seem to hate the idea of actually doing live performances or interacting with their fanbase.
posted by Runes at 12:07 PM on May 31, 2012

aw christ I got something in my fucking eye again god damn it
- me too
posted by dougzilla at 12:13 PM on May 31, 2012

I'll just leave this here.
posted by arcticseal at 1:16 PM on May 31, 2012 [5 favorites]

Super-cool, especially the big finale. I love these crazy kids, and I don't give a rat's ass how "calculated" or "artificial" (i.e., like nearly all other pop music) their shtick is.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:32 PM on May 31, 2012

The circle is for marketing!
posted by zenon at 1:51 PM on May 31, 2012

Just go watch arcticseal's link.
posted by zenon at 1:51 PM on May 31, 2012

Ever have an experience where you hear a band, but you've never seen them, and you have an image of what they look like in your head... and when you finally see them, it turns out that they don't look ANYTHING like what you expected?

Yeah, that just hit me HARD after seeing arcticseals link....

Anyways, lovely video, impossible to not smile hugely while watching it.
posted by MysticMCJ at 2:28 PM on May 31, 2012

I'm putting off buying the new album until the weekend when I can do it justice. The NPR video stays on my iPod because it is sheer joyfulness at it's best.
posted by arcticseal at 3:59 PM on May 31, 2012

DUDE, let's get one thing straight: If these peeps are artificial or calculated, so is Ziggy Stardust, or Georgie Fruit or even Mark Twain for goodness sake. It's a nom de plume, a haigo - artists do it all the time and it's a really really powerful tool.

You know what the hardest thing about being creative is? Being stuck with yourself and thinking you're forced to stay the course, because oh my GOD! What would happen if I did something sensationally different? Will my fragile ego survive such a blow?!. What's the solution? Reinvent yourself! Don't wanna be that thing anymore? KILL IT! Problem solved.

One day Abel + the rest of the 0's may not want to do this Suuuuuthern feel-good prancy-dancy stuff and move on to something else. I say right-on. If you love them now, right on. But give these people some room the BREATH LIFE.

Try it yourself! People do, all the time. Go put your main life on hold and hike the Appalachian trail. Do it under a different name. Get it? Yeah...
posted by alex_skazat at 4:24 PM on May 31, 2012

* My apologies, Alex, not Abel
posted by alex_skazat at 4:25 PM on May 31, 2012

Well shit. I guess I'm gonna have to make myself like Edward Sharpe's music now.
posted by cmoj at 4:25 PM on May 31, 2012

Well goddammit, that's a whole lot of awesome awesome, particularly with the tiny desk concert.
Also, I did not know about tiny desk concerts. This one did not look like I might have expected (and sort of wished) it would look, but it was still super great.
posted by Glinn at 5:35 PM on May 31, 2012

A video full of beautiful people - one and all.
posted by Edward L at 7:10 PM on May 31, 2012

Different musical style, but another awesome NYC double dutch video from the streets: DJ Fresh - Gold Dust
posted by sophist at 9:52 PM on May 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

Man on Fire is currently available in my local Starbucks as a free download if anyone is interested (Calgary, AB). YM(& coffee based drink)MV.
posted by arcticseal at 12:23 PM on June 1, 2012

Oh, such joy! I had previously only heard (and enjoyed) their song "Home," so I am happy to know that their other stuff's good too. The double-dutch girls made me smile, and the ballet at the end made me choke up a little. Lovely.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:01 PM on June 1, 2012