10594

Wildbirds & Peacedrums played 5 NYC shows, LPR w/ Serengeti & Polyphonic and Deerhoof (pics)

photos by Lori Baily, words by Andrew Frisicano

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

This was a damn good show, and not even because they played their “hits,” or because I knew most of the songs. In actuality I knew about half, but the very fact that I enjoyed the songs I didn’t know prove Deerhoof to be good performers. They pulled every gag and trick in the concert-giving book: costume changes! pretentious and adorable stage banter! friend found randomly in audience to play the drums for a song! artsy video projections! synchronized dance moves! not one, but TWO encores! props, such as a tiny stuffed penguin and a glow-in-the-dark basketball! all of the band members switching instruments! Sometimes all of these would occur within a single song. [Subbacultcha]

Deerhoof headlined a post-ATP NY show at (Le) Poisson Rouge on September 15th.

Opening up were Chicago duo Serengeti & Polyphonic and Swedes Wildbirds & Peacedrums. It was the first of five NYC shows in the past week for Wildbirds & Peacedrums who played their last one at The Bell House last night (9/22) with Fanfarlo. I caught them at their second show (9/16), where they played a short set at the Cake Shop before the headliner, Sam Mickens’ Ecstatic Showband & Revue.

At the Cake Shop, the pair filled the small stage with an arrangement of drums and other percussion (they didn’t play anything you couldn’t hit). Andreas sat behind a fairly extensive kit, with a sampler and a xylophone tucked to the side, while Mariam stood behind a steeldrum and occasionally stabbied at the drum kit too. She didn’t stand still long though, dancing across the stage, jumping around, and still managing to carry most of the songs with only sparse drum accompaniment. Somehow they both kept their place. The bluesy influence on her voice was pretty clear too. Like on their record, the band’s lyrics were charming and quirky (not totally unlike fellow Gothenburg-ite Jens Lekman), and live they added another level of raw, theatrical energy to the music.

The rest of the pictures from LPR, below…

Serengeti and Polyphonic

Serengeti and Polyphonic

Serengeti and Polyphonic

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Wildbirds and Peacedrums

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof

Deerhoof