At a certain point, you can pin down the age when your enduring musical tastes are established. You may continue to roll on tumbleweed style, picking up bands and genres along the way. At your core though, there’s gonna be something keeping all those errant bits together. My year was 2008. It may seem self-indulgent to mention, but hey, I’m a reviewer. How self-indulgent can you get beyond putting your views of a gig into the public eye? I mention 2008 because The Dodos’ Visiter was a massive album for me. I’ve been waiting 7 years to see these guys, which may serve as an apology for the inevitable gush that’s to follow.
The thing that stood out immediately was the space. The Horseshoe Tavern is an intimate, cosy venue that mashes you face to face with whoever graces the stage. The venue fit The Dodos like a pair of long johns; they’re a sonically tight, sweaty band with two founding members: Meric and Logan. 10 years into their partnership, the chemistry is palpable with harmonies to match. Their presence, while not remotely showy, was warm and inviting. They seemed to perform “for” the crowd rather than “to” them, as if sharing intricate arrangements with a group of friends.
Intricate feels like the right word in the same way it feels ok to label Meric and Logan “music nerds” that somehow stumbled onstage. Seeing them play live, you understand how the recorded counterparts so easily yank you by the ear. Meric repeatedly dropped one guitar only to hoist another. Tracks drifted between waltzy acoustic strumming and vigorous electric solos, backed with a battalion of pedals. A dedicated effects mic lifted vocals in line with constant tempo changes and time signature tricks. Logan’s percussion was complex and he gave it his all. A myriad of techniques and controlled dynamic range showcased the obvious talent on display, sometimes leaving visible reminders (“my sweatstains look like a Rorschach” he remarked).
Performing to a receptive crowd, the band exuded comfort and competence. Banter was friendly, welcoming fans to shout suggestions for the inevitable encore. Upon hearing an array of requests Meric mocked their own indecisiveness and offered to play them all at once. Logan piped up “you think this is bad? You should see us ordering food.” Debuting material off their freshly released album Individ, they kindly dipped into their back catalogue for some deeper cuts. The Season, Walking and Red and Purple from Visiter were all stand outs (obvious personal bias). That considered, bringing opener Springtime Carnivore’s Greta Salpeter for backup on No Colour’s Don’t Try And Hide It closed out the performance as it began: with charm, harmony and a bevy of talent.
