Thank god for Deer Tick.Last night after a few Brooklyn Lagers I was ready to write a novel on this show, mostly in response to the devastating set from Murfreesboro, Tenn.'s, Those Darlins. But, instead of bumming everyone out on a Tuesday morning, I'll keep my criticisms brief, and attempt to be a little positive.
Erica (who took these photos) and I really came to see the oft-buzzed about (even on this blog) Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson. There was definitely anticipation in the mostly packed room, waiting to see what this kid was all about. Playing with a full band, MBAR delivered a passionate and lively set of Dylan influenced-indie rock with hints of folk and country thrown in. MBAR even played a few great guitar solos - a trend I would love to see revived in the indie-rock world. His stage presence was powerful, if not a little cocky, and he seemed to be truly enjoying himself. Overall, high marks for this set. Definitely worth it. Except...
More after the jump & more photos...
His drawbacks stemmed from his vocals. He swallowed every line, and every word. He didn't have the best voice (ok,) but his slurring just became outright annoying. It was bad to the point of almost ruining his set for me, which would have been unfortunate. Hopefully, this is just a trait specific to last night. On to Deer Tick - I'll save Those Darlins for the end...I've seen Deer Tick twice, once solo and once band-backed. Solo, frontman John McCauley's songs echoed with the classic sadness of Townes Van Zandt - with his band, the songs came alive and crackled with energy. His drunken, mostly hilarious stage banter remained the same. McCauley brought along a tasteful and talented upright bass player and drummer for the evenings performance. They laid in the pocket and stayed out of the way and let the almost rockabilly-country songs and vocals come to the forefront. He played a great set focused on songs from his debut record War Elephant, and did not disappoint.
Those Darlins.Shit. They were AWFUL. Never have I seen a worse set of imitation-country shtick. They did everything in their power, including wearing hot pants and tap dancing to distract from their terrible voices and even worse songs. They played sped up Carter Family-style country, that shockingly people seemed to be enjoying. I liked one song called "Red Light" or something along those lines. Apparently their new record is being produced by the guy who did Vampire Weekend's record. I don't care if it was produced by T-Bone Burnett, Brian Eno, and Steve Lillywhite together - I would never buy it. Yet, in a hilarious twist - I saw one of them (below) (at least she was cute) becoming very "close" with Mr. Benjamin Anthony Robinson during the Deer Tick set. What good is a blog without a little gossip?
