Concerts

Belle and Sebastian deliver joyful sets despite rain at Pier 17, playing early albums

Belle and Sebastian, joined by an enthusiastic crowd, performed songs from their first two albums at Pier 17. The shows were a success despite the cold and rainy weather.

Brooklyn Vegan·May 27, 2026·via Brooklyn Vegan

Belle and Sebastian deliver joyful sets despite rain at Pier 17, playing early albums

Belle and Sebastian brought very Scottish conditions to their two shows at NYC outdoor venue Rooftop at Pier 17 over Memorial Day Weekend. It hardly felt like the start of summer, with soggy weather and temperatures in the ’50s, especially on Saturday. “This new band Belle and Sebastian have decided to record their second album in the pissing rain,” frontman Stuart Murdoch told the crowd. “But maybe it’ll give the album a certain je ne sais quoi. “

The Glasgow indie greats’ current tour celebrates the 30th anniversary of their first two albums, both released in 1996: Tigermilk was played on Friday (with The Ladybug Transistor opening), and If You’re Feeling Sinister was played on Saturday (with Joanna Sternberg opening). The weather was so bad on Saturday that I almost didn’t go, but I dug my festival poncho out of the closet and trudged down to the Seaport. I’m so glad I did — what a joyous, fun show.

I’m pretty sure everyone at Pier 17 felt the same way. What a treat to hear If You’re Feeling Sinister , a perfect album, played in full, with the crowd singing along and dancing up a storm. The whole album was a highlight, from “The Stars of Track and Field” to “Judy and the Dream Horses” (which had Murdoch donning a pantomime horse head for the song’s second half), and the band, decked out in rain gear, seemed to be having almost as much fun as the audience.

Belle and Sebastian took a break, toweled off, and returned for a second set drawn from the rest of their catalog that included “Chickfactor,” “Sukie in the Graveyard,” “Lord Anthony,” and “Funny Little Frog.” There were alternates listed on the band’s printed setlists, giving them options, and while I would’ve loved to have heard Dear Catastrophe Waitress ‘ Squeeze-esque “Stay Loose” instead of “Funny Little Frog,” there are really no qualms about the songs we got.

Because the stage was so wet, there was no audience dance invasion during “The Boy With the Arab Strap,” so Murdoch went down into the crowd instead, starting a conga line and chatting with people in hopes of finding native New Yorkers, though he mainly seemed to run into out-of-towners. “Where are you from?” “Argentina!!!”

Set two ended with “Sleep Around the Clock,” and then the band returned for two more songs, “Dress Up in You” and “I Want the World to Stop,” both audience requests. What could’ve been a miserable night out ended up being one of the best shows of the year so far.

Friday night had less rain and more Tigermilk , plus a second set that included “I’m a Cuckoo,” “Piazza, New York Catcher,” “Dirty Dream Number Two,” “Dear Catastrophe Waitress,” “I Didn’t See It Coming,” “Lazy Line Painter Jane,” and more.

Check out photos from Night 1 by Ryan Muir , and setlists and fan-shot video from both Rooftop @ Pier 17 shows, below.

photo by Ryan Muir

The Ladybug Transistor (photo by Ryan Muir)

photo by Ryan Muir

Belle & Sebastian (photo by Ryan Muir)

photo by Ryan Muir

Belle & Sebastian (photo by Ryan Muir)

SETLIST: Belle and Sebastian @ Rooftop at Pier 17 5/22/2026

Tigermilk

The State I Am In

Expectations

She’s Losing It

You’re Just a Baby

Electronic Renaissance

I Could Be Dreaming

We Rule the School

My Wandering Days Are Over

I Don’t Love Anyone

Mary Jo

Set 2:

Dirty Dream Number Two

I’m a Cuckoo

Seymour Stein

Piazza, New York Catcher

Another Sunny Day

The Boy With the Arab Strap

Dear Catastrophe Waitress

I Didn’t See It Coming

Encore:

Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying

Lazy Line Painter Jane

SETLIST: Belle and Sebastian @ Rooftop at Pier 17 5/23/2026

If You’re Feeling Sinister

The Stars of Track and Field

Seeing Other People

Me and the Major

Like Dylan in the Movies

The Fox in the Snow

Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying

If You’re Feeling Sinister

Mayfly

The Boy Done Wrong Again

Judy and the Dream of Horses

Set 2:

Lord Anthony

Chickfactor

Sukie in the Graveyard

Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John

Funny Little Frog

The Boy With the Arab Strap

Sleep the Clock Around

Encore:

Dress Up in You

I Want the World to Stop

_Originally reported by [Brooklyn Vegan](https://www.brooklynvegan.com/belle-and-sebastian-brought-soggy-scottish-weather-their-first-2-albums-to-joyous-rooftop-pier-17-shows-review-pics-setlists/)._

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