tUnE-yArDs & Pat Jordache played two nights @ Lincoln Hall (night 1 pics)

photos by Matt Ziegler, words by Parker Langvardt

With a dash of white paint on her face, tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus walked on stage to face a sold out crowd for the first show of a two night run at Lincoln Hall on Wednesday night, (11/9). She sang a single note and took a deep breath, leaving time for an audience member to start clapping. Garbus laughed, leading everyone to cheer and clap. She talked briefly, seeming to work out any nervousness before starting over. Her voice rang through the room with tribal inflections, gritty accents on lower notes, and loud, rhythmic breathing between each phrase. She began to loop her voice, layering it densely until she stopped the loop and began clicking the rim of a floor tom. The rest of her band walked on - a bassist and two saxophonists- as Garbus finished creating a jazzy hip-hop beat comprised of loops. All four of them hopped in circles as the song built to a climax of enjoyable grooves and slightly discordant melodies.

Similarly to Battles, tUnE-yArDs pair strong rhythms with bizarre harmonies and scales to create strangely catchy music. It was fun to hear the crowd singing along to the siren-like vocal loops of "Gangsta," and see them dance to the off-kilter bass lines. The band fielded some questions, and Garbus revealed she doesn't eat wheat (not to be confused with meat), and therefore eats Ezekial 4:9 cereal- "the cereal of the righteous," as she joked about the Christian food company. When asked who her favorite muppet was, she misheard, "Are you a muppet?" and fired back, "Yes, that's the secret behind tUnE-yArDs."

Before playing the African-styled song "Hatari," which means "danger" in Swahili, Garbus excitedly told the audience that an anonymous donor gave them $5,000 to send to any charity. She chose Action Against Hunger to relieve East African famine, and offered $5 hugs outside the merch booth after the show in an attempt to match the donation. I found I only had $2 in cash, and opted for a handshake. They were able to collect $1,600 and will be continuing the hug sale throughout the tour.

Pat Jordache, the stage name of Montreal-based musician Patrick Gregoire (formally of Sister Suvi, Islands) opened both nights.

Check out more pictures from night one at Lincoln Hall below..