A
Deerhunter show at worst will be confounding and bewildering. At best it will be guitar crunching wizardry. Tuesday night at the
The Hi-Fi (my first visit since its renovation) would most certainly be the latter. My fourth time seeing the Atlanta band was I believe their best show yet. Yes, there was plenty of feedback and noise but it was seamless in its approach and thrilling in the execution. To define cool please look at Deerhunter. They have it in buckets. Just the way they stand and play their guitars, the noise their guitars make. Their pure approach to music. They have it all. Lead man Bradford Cox leads the way with panache and aplomb. In essence we should all be greatful Cox and Deerhunter exist.
They are surely touched by greatness.
This show gave from all eras. It touch heavily on recent albums "Monomania" and "Halcyon Digest" but some older numbers were given good air as well. The set flowed remarkably well, with new bassist Josh McKay and new guitarist Frankie Broyles slotting in with ease. Alongside the established trio of Cox, Pundt and Archuleta. This band can do soul crunching guitar pyrotechnics and deliriously light melody with ease. Songs like "Revival" and "T.H.M." can sit easily next to an epic "Nothing Ever Happened". The latter song segued into a vicious cover of the Patti Smith classic "Horses". My favourite songs of the night however were the beautastic "Helicopter" and the roaring heart of "Monomania". It was during this song that I realised, with a smile to prove it, that we were witnessing and feeling something great. And it's hard to ask for much more than that.
Set List
Earthquake
Neon Junkyard
Don't Cry
Revival
Desire Lines
T.H.M.
Rainwater Cassette Exchange
Nothing Ever Happened/Horses (Patti Smith cover)
Hazel St
Helicopter
Sleepwalking
Back to the Middle
Monomania
Cover Me (Slowly)
Agoraphobia
Cryptograms
Operation
