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August 17, 2006
Deerhoof, Live @ McCarren Pool, Brooklyn. 08.13.06
photos by Devon Banks
I'll keep my thoughts short since this show has been so thoroughly covered from all corners of the media, electronic or no. I looked at the attendance sheet in Heart on a Stick's post mortem today, and it made me tired. The crowd at this mob scene made me tired too, what with ironically (although in fairness, probably legitimately) fun activities like dodgeball and slip and slide always seeming a bit too clever. Also sort of disheartening to see how hipsters conglomerated in big numbers turn immediately into hippies when left unchecked. Hacky sacking. Caucasion dreadlocks. Man overalls. At least three confirmed sightings of man overalls.
Focusing on the music and not anti-social petty annoyances, Deerhoof were an excellently odd choice to entertain the gathered thousands. The only time in the day when a performer followed ?uestlove's DJ set without seeming completely mismatched, Deerhoof's Satomi came in with beats still hanging in the air chirping "Bunny, Bunny, Bunny" to the rhythm. Her confidence and charisma pulled off the oddity well. I mean, why should twee vocals have a harder time co-mingling with thumping beats than they do with noise rock freakouts?
About those freakouts, maybe it was just the sun-shine day, but they seemed more inviting here than they do sometimes on record. Dealing with the recent departure of their fouth man, the arrangements were more streamlined, but no less powerful. Satomi's vocal and playful demeanor drew more lenses but John Deiterich's guitar squalls are what makes them some of the most interesting rock composers around, sure to gain in stature among hypothetical future types long after they've disbanded.
Singling out John is not to belittle the input of drummer Greg Saunier, playing what looks like a bar mitzvah gift drum kit that he towers over. Shattered cymbal and duct tape a plenty were tell tale sings of the punishment inflected by the tall man. His comically meek stage banter suggests a Hulk-like sublimated rage channelling when behind the kit, and he was a great anchor for the strange co-mingling of fragile melody and feedback wrangling.
For a casual 'Hoof fan, I couldn't have really asked for much more. The set relied heavily on the melodic Runners' Four album. They trotted out back catalog pinnacles like "Milk Man" and "This Magnificent Bird Will Rise". Also, they rocked and it was free.
Folks grumbling in various comment threads about this set being too abrasive must not have dipped more than a toe into the pool of non-conventionally structured rock music. Also, they hate art. Possibly, they wear manveralls.
More photos after the slide...
Tags: Deerhoof, McCarren Pool, hipsters, manveralls
Bunny, Bunny, Bunny
I've Seen Joly from Punkcast.com at roughly 90% of all concerts that I've been to this summer. So, he obviously has impeccable taste, but he always seems semi-sad and confused
Come see the duckface
kicking out the jams
the horror, the horror...
Posted by Jeff Klingman at August 17, 2006 05:06 PM
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Comments
Manveralls the new uggs..?
Posted by: Sebastian at August 17, 2006 06:15 PM
I totally neglected to point out the dude to his left in the raver pants and front zip up camo belly shirt (oh yes, that was a dude). It's like the bus from '97 had a few mishaps along the way, but they finally got him here.
Posted by: Jeff K at August 18, 2006 08:29 AM
