Music: Ivy "Traces of You" Concert review

Ivy has long been my favorite dreampop band, so when I heard that they would be playing a live show at Respectable Street, I couldn't believe my luck.  The concert would be just blocks away from my office, at an intimate, hole-in-the-wall venue, and was one of only a few stops on Ivy's 2026 "Traces of You" tour. I could understand them playing New York or Chicago, but West Palm Beach seemed like such a random city to visit - and so bizarrely convenient for me.

Respectable Street itself is little more than a bar, a small open floor, and a stage - there is some seating at the edges of the place, but for most concerts, including Ivy's, you have to stand for the whole thing. I lined up about a half hour before the show and heard the band sound-checking and rehearsing the classics, like "Undertow."  I even saw them pop out and walk down Clematis, presumably to kill some time while the opening act, Sweet Bronco, played their set.

Finally, Ivy took the stage.  As I expected, the songs were a mix of tracks from prior albums (though there was nothing from "All Hours," which I gather Dominique Durand and Andy Chase do not like) along with new material from "Traces of You." Of course, the concert was dedicated to departed bandmember Adam Schlesinger, who is gone but never forgotten.

The production was spare (a video screen and some lighting) and the arrangements were basic (along with Dominique, Andy, and Bruce Driscoll, there was a drummer and a horn player, and Adam's parts were played with a bass track), and the band showed some rust from not having played a show in 14 years. For an Ivy superfan like myself, that stuff just didn't matter.

Setlist:

Keep Moving

Thinking About You

Mystery Girl

Disappointed

Undertow

Midnight Hour

Tess Don't Tell

I've Got A Feeling

Fragile People

I Think Of You

Everyday

Say You Will

This Is The Day

Worry About You

Encore:

Get Enough

Edge Of The Ocean

Miscellany: Harriet Tubman

I've forgotten about 99% of the projects that I did in elementary school, but I do recall selecting Mariah Carey's song "Hero" to explain the life and times of Harriet Tubman, the famed abolitionist and "conductor" of the Underground Railroad:

While the song was in no way written with Tubman in mind (apparently it was originally intended for a forgettable Dustin Hoffman film), I think the lyrics still fit her life nicely, especially considering she was a devout Methodist who led herself and hundreds of people to freedom:

Lord knows (Lord knows)

Dreams are hard to follow

But don't let anyone tear them away

Just hold on (hold on)

And there will be tomorrow

In time, you'll find the way (you'll find the way)