Fruit Bats perform on a KEXP remote broadcast in Berkeley, Calif. Photo by Alissa Anderson via MySpace.
Anyone hoping to catch a mini-version of the Shins in performance at last Saturday nightap show at theno doubt ended up disappointed, albeit happily, as no one seemed to leave the show feeling anything but elated.
, who has toured extensively with the Shins and officially joined the band as a permanent member in 2007, fronted the five piece behind his own strong guitar, banjo, vocal and keyboard work. The lineup included multi-instrumentalist Ron Lewis, Graeme Gibson on drums, Chris Sherman on bass and Sam Wagster on lead guitar and pedal steel.
They weaved a ’70s-tinged folky-pop tapestry that recalled as much Supertramp and the Allman Brothers as My Morning Jacket and, yes, just a slight dusting of the Shins, as they choogled through an hour-long set of alternately jammy and poppy tunes. The crowd, despite an inexplicably groggy atmosphere (for a Saturday night), was quickly invigorated, and it was no time before the floor was grooving, swaying with each piece.
They played material from all four of their albums, including the title song of their latest “The Ruminant Band,” from which they also played “Primitive Band” and “Singing Joy to the World” (during this one everyone but Johnson left the stage, which gave the already stunning song another level of austerity). The show hit its apex at the end with a rousing version of “When U Love Somebody,” from 2003’s “Mouthfuls” that had the crowd signing along every word.
As strong a performance as Fruit Bats put in, it was nearly overshadowed by Providence, R.I.’s , fronted by wunderkind Joel Thibodeau. With a noisy, goth-folk aura behind his eerily beautiful, unusually high-pitched vocals, Death Vessel had the audience transfixed from the first notes on. Their sound showed some similarity to Conor Oberst, in a more empathic than sonic way, and while its strong roots in Americana were clearly evident, there was also an overwhelming and irresistible, somber undercurrent.
Unfamiliar with Death Vessel as I came in, I wasn’t surprised at all to hear what looked to me then to be the lead singer, a petite woman also playing violin. Until she turned away from the mic, and the lilting, warbling soprano continued — from Thibodeau. The momentary shock — as if the show was being lip-synced, or poorly dubbed — left a lingering fascination, and drew the crowd and I in closer with each song.
Each song was based in soft, jingling strings, standup bass and drums that kept up an almost incidental accompaniment to the surrealistic lyrics. A few built up to explosions of bombastic noise, before meandering back into the sweet, clean melodies out of which they’d grown. All of them left a unique taste in the air behind them, and an urge to hear more.
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Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s explorations at , and his giglist at .
