It's been almost five years since Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, the Norwegian duo better known as Kings of Convenience, graced the Big Apple. On Thursday night, the pair pulled out all the stops at New York's Bowery Ballroom with a bare-bones acoustic set filled with witty banter. The anxious, sold-out crowd hung on every word as Øye joked it was 'Hot in Herre,' and continued "when it's warm in Norway, you take your clothes off."

The duo ran through tunes from their previous album and also introduced tracks from their forthcoming 'Declaration of Dependence' -- their first album since 2004. "We are not some weird experimental band who think their old stuff is not as good as the new stuff," Øye said as he delighted the crowd with 'Homesick,' the opening track from 2004's acclaimed album 'Riot on an Empty Street.'

Øye also reminisced with the crowd about his first trip to New York in 1999. While staying with a friend on Rivington Street in the Lower East Side the kids he saw playing in the park while going for a walk inspired the track 'Little Kids,' which the pair proceeded to play.


Having already run through a solid set, the pair had some surprises in store. As the nearly 90-minute performance wound down, the Kings belted out an acoustic rendition of Lesley Gore's 'It's My Party.' They returned for an encore for which the venue's spotlight shone on Feist in the balcony. She then sang her part in the 'The Build Up' without a mic, the room silent as her voice carried -- a truly special moment.

Feist then joined the band on the stage to close out the show with 'Know How,' rewarding the New York crowd for their long wait until the new record's Oct. 20 release.