Seeing an indie-icon play a punk show at the can be a bit confusing. Just ask the fans on Sunday who at times looked like they were stuck between floors on a genre-splitting teleportation elevator.
It was an appropriate reaction given that a heavy dose of them were probably just there to catch a glimpse of in the midst of another self-imposed identity struggle. After all, the Omaha-native can mutate from folk hero to rock balladeer to punk standard-bearer in a cosmic flash. The question is, can he pull off that kind of hat trick?
Flanked far stage right with his characteristic mop of black hair, Oberst seemed to navigate this risky terrain with an authentic cool. The old material off 2002’s firecracker debut “Read Music/Speak Spanish” helped to legitimize his efforts. “Mall Of America,” “The Happiest Place On Earth” and “Mañana” were meaty diatribes that felt good hearing live for the first time. Unfortunately, feeling good and sounding good are two different things. For most of the show, the lo-fi feedback fuzz that is true to the band’s form was tangled in muddied production and simply too loud. Oberst could probably use the advice that cranking up the volume doesn’t necessarily make you punk rock.
“Man And Wife, The Former,” with Oberstap desperate quivering vocals, sounded more organic though and showcased the band’s knack for slicing into tender subjects with a seething sensibility. Oberstap lyrics meshed with Matt Baum’s drumming and Denver Dalley’s bleeding guitar work also add-up to a catchy yet undercooked equation. New tracks “The Underground,” “Anonymous,” and “Marikkkopa” sounded urgent, well-crafted and magnetic — which proved their marksmanship as music veterans.
The band ended the night with a cover of the Clash’s “Spanish Bombs.” It was a good reminder that real punk rock doesn’t always need to be shocking and anti-establishment. As long as the message is pure, sometimes it can just be pretty.
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Kris K. Coe is a freelance writer, Denver-native and regular contributor to Reverb.
Glenn Ross is a Denver-based photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. See more of his work .
