Live: Surfer Blood, Carnivores at Propaganda, January 31
Categories: Concert Review, Last Night
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| Photo by Ian Witlen |
With Carnivores, Young Circles, Guy Harvey, Band in Heaven, and the Dewars
Propaganda, Lake Worth
Monday, January 31, 2011
View a slideshow from the concert here.
Better than: Finding a really smelly $20 bill.
Even if some of the night's performers were more awake than others, Propaganda's jam-packed Monday lineup proved to be a worthwhile draw on an evening for the bravest members of the working class -- and just another night for Surfer Blood's devoted local fans.
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| Photo by Ian Witlen |
| Carnivores keyboardist Caitlin Lang on the attack. |
Sliding this "secret" show from last Thursday to Monday gave more time for word to travel. More important, Atlanta's Carnivores could squeeze in one more gig in the area. The quartet swapped vocals between the front line of keyboardist Caitlin Lang and polo-clad cohorts Nathaniel Higgins on guitar and Phillip Forbes on bass. Over the course of their spazzy performance, these musical animals struck curious poses and jostled the crowd with a spray of beach-in-the-garage anthems like "Summer Shades" from last year's If I'm Ancient. At times, the vintage organ came through like a Walkmen jam played double time, and "Tremble" shook the stage with exuberance.
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| Photo by Ian Witlen |
| One of Young Circles' big sticks. |
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| Photo by Ian Witlen |
| Surfer Blood's Kevin Williams and Marcos Marchesani shred. |
The evening's headliners, West Palm Beach's giddy rock confectioners Surfer Blood, showed that this break from touring is treating the band well. Whether the performance turns out to be the final live offering in the area before March's Bruise Cruise Pre-Party at Grand Central or not, J.P. Pitts and his workhorse backing crew made sure to leave a generous impression. Playing the new songs debuted recently at Respectable Street (and another fresh creation) brings out a renewed intensity in staples like "Take It Easy," which added a wealth of solo flourishes at the end. The cover of Pavement's "Box Elder" also figured into the polished set that undoubtedly made for some slow-moving Tuesday mornings across the county.
Critic's Notebook
The crowd: Loosened up by $1 gin and tonics, apparently.
Pleasant surprise: Zachary Dewar opted for a Yamaha keyboard instead of an electric guitar for a handful of stripped-down performances by the Dewars between the other bands' sets.
Random detail: Band in Heaven's tambourine player, Ryan Burk, has written a short story based upon the song "Suicide Pact." The group's keyboardist, Lauren Dwyer, assured me that he received high marks.
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