Deerhoof. October 17th, 2008 at the Metro in Chicago, IL. Words by Will Pierce. Photo credit here (not from this show).
I have seen the tears and music of love; they are called "Deerhoof".
Deerhoof played the Metro Friday night. They were pretty standard: i.e., incredible. Their ability to put on an enrapturing performance is just silly. Beautiful, dangerous, warm and silly. Just silly.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that Deerhoof are "inaccessible". They are not making noise to piss off, baffle and alienate listeners. Deerhoof's music, even at its most dissonant and angular, is joyful, their shows friendly and engaging though wild and unpredictable.
As the band took the stage Friday night, singer Satomi Matsuzaki brought with her with a bag of tortilla chips which she offered to us in the audience. Of the set that followed a little less than half was material from the new Offend Maggie (including the night's opener "Snoopy Waves", "The Tears and Music of Love", and my personal favorite off that record, "My Purple Past"), though missing was a rendition of "Offend Maggie" herself. All of these new tunes were marvelous and rang true alongside old favorites.
John Dieterich and newcomer Ed Rodriguez consistently dazzled with jarring guitar work. After seeing the band as a trio last time through, Rodriguez has added a new splash to the band. He was equally at home on both Offend Maggie material and old-school tunes even as he brought his own shot of flavor to the Deerhoof snowcone. It was great to hear powerhouse songs like "Milk Man", "Dummy Discards A Heart" and "Rainbow Silhouette Of The Milky Man" in new arrangements, back to their roots of great guitar interplay.
Drummer Greg Saunier's spastic, sensitive brilliance shone throughout the night, as did Satomi Matsuzaki's lovability. As difficult as it was to look away from Saunier during such songs as "Wrong Time Capsule" and "Rainbow Silhouette Of The Milky Man", it was equally difficult to look away from Satomi during the band's encore, "Basketball Get Your Groove Back", Offend Maggie's heir to "Panda Panda Panda" and "Dog On The Sidewalk". The petite singer/bassist wielded only a microphone and her quirky choreography as she climbed onto an amplifier and delivered much of the song balancing on one leg (with occasional help from Ed Rodriguez, who was looking especially at home with Satomi's antics).
Once again a quartet, Deerhoof's Offend Maggie has made them once again "Fresh Born" and through yet another rebirth, Deerhoof's soul remains intact. Anyone who was at Friday night's show is now unafraid and eager to get reborn along with them.
Deerhoof - Wrong Time Capsule (from The Runners Four)
Deerhoof - Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back (from Offend Maggie)
I have seen the tears and music of love; they are called "Deerhoof".Deerhoof played the Metro Friday night. They were pretty standard: i.e., incredible. Their ability to put on an enrapturing performance is just silly. Beautiful, dangerous, warm and silly. Just silly.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that Deerhoof are "inaccessible". They are not making noise to piss off, baffle and alienate listeners. Deerhoof's music, even at its most dissonant and angular, is joyful, their shows friendly and engaging though wild and unpredictable.
As the band took the stage Friday night, singer Satomi Matsuzaki brought with her with a bag of tortilla chips which she offered to us in the audience. Of the set that followed a little less than half was material from the new Offend Maggie (including the night's opener "Snoopy Waves", "The Tears and Music of Love", and my personal favorite off that record, "My Purple Past"), though missing was a rendition of "Offend Maggie" herself. All of these new tunes were marvelous and rang true alongside old favorites.
John Dieterich and newcomer Ed Rodriguez consistently dazzled with jarring guitar work. After seeing the band as a trio last time through, Rodriguez has added a new splash to the band. He was equally at home on both Offend Maggie material and old-school tunes even as he brought his own shot of flavor to the Deerhoof snowcone. It was great to hear powerhouse songs like "Milk Man", "Dummy Discards A Heart" and "Rainbow Silhouette Of The Milky Man" in new arrangements, back to their roots of great guitar interplay.
Drummer Greg Saunier's spastic, sensitive brilliance shone throughout the night, as did Satomi Matsuzaki's lovability. As difficult as it was to look away from Saunier during such songs as "Wrong Time Capsule" and "Rainbow Silhouette Of The Milky Man", it was equally difficult to look away from Satomi during the band's encore, "Basketball Get Your Groove Back", Offend Maggie's heir to "Panda Panda Panda" and "Dog On The Sidewalk". The petite singer/bassist wielded only a microphone and her quirky choreography as she climbed onto an amplifier and delivered much of the song balancing on one leg (with occasional help from Ed Rodriguez, who was looking especially at home with Satomi's antics).
Once again a quartet, Deerhoof's Offend Maggie has made them once again "Fresh Born" and through yet another rebirth, Deerhoof's soul remains intact. Anyone who was at Friday night's show is now unafraid and eager to get reborn along with them.
Deerhoof - Wrong Time Capsule (from The Runners Four)
Deerhoof - Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back (from Offend Maggie)
Labels: Show Reviews
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