Austin is the music capital of the states, or is it the (((UNIVERSE)))? Either way, despite my J-O-B-less status, I've been working hard to put this claim to the test: Calvin Johnson, Lavendar Diamond, Little Brother, Gang Gang Dance. And Frog Eyes, a Canadian outfit and sweet relief from too self-conscious bands who reflect the indie venue's hyper-see-and-be-seen ambiance so thick you could slice it. How can you tell this about Frog Eyes? Almost the whole time, they play with their eyes closed. Frontman Carey Mercer, Andy Richter's country cousin, the corn-fed guy next door you just don't expect to see center stage of hip music halls, evokes an over-swollen scarlet balloon that's just about to go pop. Both his delivery and the accompanying music are like a single sustained convulsion, a holyroller swept up in spiritual fervor's fever, a tempest in a teapot, the mania of Faulknerian lyrics and avant noise contained within pop's structure.
Frog Eyes's openers and a Wolf Parade side project, Alex Delivery, which included two very watchable woman members with tasteful new wave haircuts and Pollock-styled hand-spattered t-shirts, turned out decent, meandering arty punk-funk jams, but it was their last number that will surely beckon the most recruits to their mood-infested dance revolution.
In concert, Calvin Johnson recreated the nakedness of his recent solo recordings: he wore all white down to his ivory-colored loafers, his back-up consisted of a boy on a partial drum kit who halfway through dropped his brush stick to take Calvin's guitar, and many times the man just sang acapella, on a Saturday night in the center of Austin's mayhemish 6th Street strip, as the headliner for a crowd well past their fourth, fifth, sixth drink. Good gracious! Certainly, that's more nerve than any middle finger-flipping noise band has ever mustered. These days Calvin is Cupid grown up, lyre in hand, wrapped in Roman robes, head wreathed in ivy, crooning elegies about love's current sorry state. But after 30 years working overtime for America's underground music, he's fresh and innocent as a Wurlitzer jukebox playing Buddy Holly.
Gang Gang Dance are no longer one of my favorite experimental bands--they are my new favorite dance band! GGD's live show rewinds back to 1996 when we were all dancing to Chemical Brothers's "Setting Sun." Used to be their Bolly-meets-Bali psychedelic freakout would noodle at length before congealing into a harem rave up. Nowadays they're bringing the funk straight and direct, without leaving any of their weirdness behind. If you can't catch them, their
tour diary on YouTube might suffice.
I've also started training with
KOOP 91.7. Every other Sunday afternoon you will hear a familiar voice between 3:30 and 4:30 on the Worldbeat program. Next week I'll be reporting on the Femi Kuti & The Positive Force show that's tomorrow night.
Two noteworthy venues to keep an eye on in case you want to time your visit to see me with an unmissable show:
Emo's Austin and
Stubb's BBQ