deerhoof - live at the 9:30 club, 2/7/11

(To make up for missing Friday's entry, I'm posting two new pieces this week. Look for my Gang of Four review this Friday in addition to this.)

I thought I knew a good deal about Deerhoof going into this show.

I had been a fan for about four years, going through hardcore listening phases on and off during that time.

I knew the band included a petite Japanese singer, an incredibly chaotic drummer, and a set of pedal-crazy madmen at guitar.

I knew they were supposed to be absolutely fantastic live.

But I still wasn't even remotely prepared for them last night.

---

The opening acts were both solid, in their own special ways.

Ben Butler and Mouse Pad was a solid duo, combining Dan Deacon-style kaleidoscope electronica with fast-paced, energetic percussion supporting it. The two guys looked like they were best friends having the time of their lives, which I love to see in an opening act. Nothing worse than watching a band obligingly trudge through their set just because everyone in the room isn't digging it.

Chain and the Gang was solid in the sense that they were a Motown novelty act. You know, solid. "Chain" was none other than Ian Svenonius from Nation of Ulysses, clad in a relentlessly sexy solid orange suit and a matching bottle of orange soda in hand. The backing band all wore matching prison outfits, with the exception of a backup vocalist/tambourine girl in a wonderfully skimpy skirt and top. The whole set was an act, complete with choreographed bits before, during, and after songs. Chain was eating it up the entire time, playing his overblown stage persona that was one part James Brown and another Jon Spencer right to the very edge. Svenonius showed his true colors throughout the set, however, launching into thinly veiled, humorous rants on consumerism, government corruption, and the decline of society that hearkened back to his Ulysses days.

Nobody knew how to react to this, at all. I mean, Nervous Cop was set to play, and then out of nowhere these guys come marching out. We weren't prepared. Had we been, I think they would've gone over much better. I liked them, but the vast majority of the crowd was giving "what the fuck is going on" stares as Chain scissor kicked his way across the stage, the band churning away at their over-the-top take on 60s garage and Motown. There was a definite set of relief when they finished up their set.

Greg explained their presence later on in the show: They wanted to get a local band to cover for Nervous Cop (no explanation for their absence), so Greg called up Brendan Canty, the drummer for Fugazi, who ecstatically recommended Chain and the Gang. Greg recalled being confused at first, but then falling in madly love with them. Nice to see those DC hardcore guys stick together after all these years.

Deerhoof's setup was unlike any I'd ever seen before. Drummer Greg Saunier was set up stage left, directly in front of me. As we watched a roadie physically duct tape his kick drum to the floor, we could tell we were gonna be in for a treat with his playing. His "high-hat," if you can call it that, must've been made of 10" cymbals, and his one regular ride must've been 15". Coupled with a single snare, kick, tom, and floor tom, this was clearly a setup unique to him.

The middle of the stage was taken up by two different guitarists, one six-string, one twelve, both with massive pedal boards connecting back to several small guitar amps. The six-string, played by Ed Rodriguez, had a convoluted system of electronics that I still don't quite understand: the guitar input led to a small device taped to his guitar, then branched off into two different cords, one that lead to an amp, and another that seemed to be run through a synth sitting at the back of the stage. Whatever it was, I want it.

Then stage right was Satomi Matsuzaki's simple mic stand and bass amplifier, though she would roam the stage singing several times during the show.

Deerhoof took the stage holding small masks to their faces, pausing in the middle of the stage for a minute before discarding them and taking their seats. After getting situated, they burst into sound at Greg's signal.

Standing in front of Greg Saunier and watching him play for roughly an hour was easily one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life. The show felt more like a drum clinic than an actual concert. His technique was beyond anything I had ever seen, pure manic energy with spastic shots darting around his spare drum kit, all delivered with a punishing force that at any point could be pulled back to support the rest of the band. Within two songs he had broken several sticks. His drums fell out of tune constantly, and at several points he began playing one-handed as he tuned his snare or toms. It was simply mesmerizing to watch, and I spent most of my time focused on him as a result.

The sound levels on the guitars were far too low, probably as much a result of my location close to the stage as it was any problems within the venues. With their guitar amps being so small and monitors being pulled close to the individual members, it was difficult to make out much of the sounds they were generating. But oh was it fun to watch.

John Dieterich worked his twelve-string with impressive dexterity, moving back and forth toward his pedal board throughout the gig, constantly shaping his sound with frequent stomps and twists across his numerous pedals. Rodriguez lunged across the stage all night, throwing his guitar against his amp to send screeching feedback through the venue that even we could hear. His interactions with Satomi were among the most memorable images of the night, including a brief Chuck Berry duck walk across the stage that was one of the most purely entertaining things I've ever seen.

It should be noted at Satomi is roughly five feet tall, but compared to the tall, lanky figures of the other members, she seems about two feet. Everything I ever heard about her was completely true. She's absolutely adorable. Her vocals soar out just as high pitched as they do on record, though there were hints at times that the sound was far from ideal--at one point, Greg walked over to Satomi's mic and dictated exactly how her vocals needed to be adjusted. It seemed fine to us, but then again this guy spent a good fifteen minutes tuning his four drums before they took the stage.

Throughout the show, she accompanied her vocals with various hand motions--pointing to different sides, swinging her arms in the air, and so forth--that the audience imitated whenever they could keep up. For several songs, she passed her bass off to Rodriguez and wandered the around with her mic, leading the audience in call-and-response choruses and she ran up and down the edge of the stage. I cannot even begin to describe the joy I found having her stand directly in front of me singing "Come See the Duck." Pure happiness.

The only word to describe the band playing as a whole is "energy." Unlimited amounts of it, flying in every direction. Greg pounding away at this kit, guitarists flying across the stage, non-stop movement in every direction, rhythm changes popping up out of nowhere, random effects kicking in at the guitarists' will, all dialed down to an art form.

Greg was clearly the bandleader at all times, and for most songs they had to wait for him to stop playing until they could continue. At times the man seems like he isn't in control of his playing. The song would stop, yet he would continue to flail around at this drumset, playing the wrong sides of drums, the inside of his cowbell, and muting his cymbals without hitting them. Just a blur of limbs and sweat and shards of food surrounding him all night.

What was perhaps most refreshing was the band's attitude. Even with the sound problems, which were so severe at the beginning of the show that all four members went to the sound board individually, the band was visibly happy to be performing for us, a far cry from the traditional tough guy, rock star attitude you see with most acts today. They're a fan's band, no question.

They even played a double encore--a double encore! The Black Lips wouldn't even play one when I saw them last year, and these guys played two! And one of the encore songs was Pinhead by the Ramones! (I was extremely upset to find that I was the only person up front singing along as Ed barked out the lyrics. Damn kids need to do their homework.)

The sound issues are really the only thing keeping this from being a flawless show. All night, I kept hoping they would turn a knob or two and crank the sound up, but it never happened. Lack of feedback aside, that night was one of the best I've had in a long time--and it was a night I really needed. If you get a chance to see them live, take it and invite everyone you know to come join you.