The Dandy Warhols graced our fair city with their presence last weekend at the Newport Music Hall. The Warhols are touring to promote their newest release, “Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia,” which features the single “Bohemian Like You.” The Warhols consist of Courtney Taylor-Taylor on guitar and vocals, Zia McCabe on keyboards and percussion, Peter Holmstrom on guitar, Troy Stewart covering guitar and trumpet and finally Brent DeBoer on drums. Their performance was good, but not great. It seemed as if it should have been in a smaller venue – Little Brother’s, for instance. It wasn’t for lack of a crowd; the Newport was just as full as ever, but the Warhols’ music and performance attitude beg for a smaller, more intimate show. The band was laid back, conversing with the audience and each other, creating a docile environment. The manner in which the band conducted themselves lends itself to a club or a bar, with plenty of seating and drink specials, not to a bigger, standing-room-only type of place. When performing live, the band’s songs blend seamlessly into one another, changing tempo only slightly, if at all. For the most part, the songs tend to sound somewhat alike on the album, even songs that are faster or slower on the record still come out nearly the same as the others. The music may be harder and more overpowering, or softer and more somber, but the pace stays relatively the same. This sort of sound is better as a backdrop for cocktails and conversation, not a $15 Newport event. The Warhols played songs off their first two records, “Dandys Rule OK,” and “The Dandy Warhols Come Down,” but mainly focused on their newest release. Some of the better songs the band performed were “Get Off” and “Country Leaver,” featured on “Thirteen Tales.” The Warhols also had images appearing behind them on a large projection screen, including a scene or two from “Easy Rider” (that motorcycle movie from the ’60s with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson.) The images weren’t impressive, but that is mostly the fault of the lighting crew and the lackluster equipment at the Newport. Interestingly enough, the Warhols do not believe in encores. Instead of a further performance, McCabe did a cute, lullaby-ish song about the flower tattoo on her left foot to send us on our way. All things considered, the show was disappointing. The Warhols are a great band, with a different feel than most contemporary groups out there. Their records are tremendous examples of music – creative and innovative. They use all sorts of different instruments to produce a sound that is distinctly theirs, but it lacks the punch when performed.Live is almost always the best way to experience a band, but sadly enough, the Warhols are better in the studio.