Playing “rock” music is dangerous. Not like “yeah bro fuckin’ Altamont!” dangerous, dangerous in the sense that more often than not when you see 4-5 people aligned on stage with the standard guitar, drums, bass, vocals set up they are going to be douches. The rock format has become a career choice, a lottery ticket where the right combo of numbers can lead to fame, fortune and an airbrushed photo on the cover of Alternative Press.
Seeing Deerhunter last night at the newly opened Le Poisson Rouge on Bleeker Street in Manhattan reminded me that some bands can execute rock music with precision, dignity and skill. Deerhunter go about their business with little bravado but heaps of enthusiasm and an “awww shucks” innocence that sucks you in. Led by Bradford Cox who resembles a deflated life-sized Thurston Moore balloon (No disrepsect to dude and his condition, it’s just a description) Deerhunter leaks tracks almost daily through their blog sometimes with well documented tragic results. If you haven’t found their music for free yet you suck at the internet. Cox’ internet persona is often difficult, volatile and a bit troubled but live he’s engaging. His banter is playful and honest without pretense, charming when it succeeds “The only french I know are Stereolab lyrics” (in reference to the club’s french name) and cringe worthy when he fails “So you guys here in New York are into pop songs and the avant garde right? That’s a real New York thing right?”. He’s cute even when failing, he’s not a nerd with too much swagger trying to mask that he’s a geek, he’s just having a conversation with a few hundred people.
Beginning with the blog only hit Cavalry Scars, soon to be released on Weird Era Cont., Deerhunter showed why their pulsing brand of shoegaze tinged pop is so infectious. Alternating between the springy psychedelic pop of Cryptograms and the Fluorescent Grey Ep and the stripped down drive of Microcastle, they hit every fan favorite. There was a glowing omission of the track Strange Lights that everyone wished to hear and as psychically requested it appeared in an amped up, washed out haze state that ended the encore.
It’s Bradford’s blogging and appearance that get the most attention but Deerhunter’s rhythm section is what grounds the band and acts as their stealth secret weapon. Moses Archuleta is a steady and precise drummer, the one you wish the dude in your band was. There are two types of drummers : those who worship Dave Grohl and his “sick” fills and those who actually play the drums. With his emphasis on anchoring the songs Moses eschews steroided out self-fellating avalanche fills and keeps the focus on the song. Josh Fauver strums out catchy often Kraut Rock leaning bass lines. His presence on stage is entertaining. His syncopated pogoing and Madchester head lean make you imagine him plucking along to “I Am The Resurrection” in a teenage bedroom, dirty socks and homework discarded on the floor for the love of the beat. The back drop has changed for Josh but the mood hasn’t, even in a zebra striped all-over-print shirt that looks like it hung in a Polish boutique in Greenpoint, Josh looks cool, not cocky cool, fun cool. With Fauver and Archuleta steering the ship the waves of sound can crash, expand, splash and soar in any direction without sounding messy.
Deerhunter continues to surprise and deliver. Microcastle’s tight structures and craft contrast the hiss and experimentation of Weird Era Cont. but they are both Deerhunter. With so many bands afraid to deviate from their formula to ensure the merch money and crowds don’t dwindle it’s nice to know Deerhunter doesn’t give a fuck. They’ve taken down the wall between band and audience through their whole presentation and interaction. The worst they can do is fail your ears for a few minutes only to have a new crop of sounds loaded in their barrel ready to explode.
Full set list below :
Calvary Scars
It Never Stops
Spring Hall Convert
Dr. Glass
Hazel St.
Saved By Old Times
Operation
Fluorescent Grey
Nothing Ever Happened
BREAK
Bradford played drums, some dude did some shitty scat thing that wasn’t funny.
They played some grindcore …it had a mosh part.
Intro (as in Microcastle)
Agoraphobia
Strange Lights
This dude took the pictures I used, thanks man.
TAGS: Deerhunter, indie rock, Microcastle, Sonic Youth, Weird Era Cont.
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