Anathallo + Dosh + Wesafari - Nectar (Seattle, WA; June 11, 2008)

When I saw that Anathallo and Dosh were playing at Nectar, I got excited as hell. You would too if you’d seen the performance these guys put on. Forget performance, it was more like an incantation. I’ve been achin’ to see Anathallo since they summoned a celestial storm inside Atlas Clothing last year (a process I scientifically documented for Predisposer) and Dosh, as it turns out, has some serious chops live. I’ll come right out and say that Anathallo’s Floating World is easily one of most well-developed, intricately crafted indie albums I own. Live it’s unbelievable.

The show opened with Wesafari, a local Seattle band, who did a smash up set that mixed electronic and acoustic genres with fantastic vocal harmonies. The band calls this style “Space Tundra,” which they define as “Post-rock with electronic sensibility.” Now, if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, this translates into a lengthy list of bands like Caribou, Notwist, and Panda Bear (or, to really lavish on the praise, say Menomena-meets-Radiohead). Sound good? Yeah, they were! Do what I did and go check out their last album Alaska. It won’t disappoint! Also, when you’re bumping it in your car, tell your friend, “Yeah, the lead singer, Rick Wright, his brother was a founding member of Anti-Flag” and you’ll seem totally in the know. Besides kicking ass, they also served as the perfect preview for what Anathallo and Dosh were going to lay down later that evening.

All seven members of Anathallo scattered across the stage, armed with their various instruments (drums, keyboard into MacBook, regular keyboard, guitars, trumpets, bass drums, you name it). They opened with “Dokkoise House (With Face Covered)” from Floating World. Singer Matt Joynt leaned into the microphone and softly wavered:

In the dokkoise house
With face covered,
Leaving open the door.

That night in muddy water
The blossom unfolds as
A beautiful flower.

Hana no iro wa
Utsuri ni keri na.

(translated from Japanese:
The color of the flower
has already faded away.)

You better believe I had chills running down my spine.

“How has Seattle been?” Joynt asked the crowd, who shouted back “COLD!” Then the guy behind me added, “Make it Spring! I wanna dance!” and Anathallo graciously obliged with hand claps and harmonies on “Hanasakajiji (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash),” causing the front row to vigorously clap, sing, and bob along. Joynt’s guitar floated over thoughtful piano and massive percussion. Multiple players took turns on various percussive instruments, and seemed determined to exhaust themselves by pouring out every ounce of energy they had to re-create their songs. Need more reasons why these guys are so awesome? Simply put, they’re the real deal. They’re one of those bands that have found the perfect balance between innocent fun and serious musicianship. Pop balloons? Recorded Velcro strips? No problem! Technical arrangements and weird time signatures? Hell yeah! Still further, they’re able to create an even more layered and complex sound live, in what can only be described as a jaw-dropping performance.

After a breathtaking, heart-pounding, four-part percussion rendition of “Genessaret (Going Out Over 30,000 Fathoms of Water),” Joynt wiped sweat from his face and said, “Thank you for listening to us!” as the band took their leave, amidst cries of “ENCORE!” and “Just one more song!” Was it a flawless performance? No. There were some problems with the guitar and a few mistakes noticed mostly by the band. However, seeing the band shake and shudder as if possessed all the way through their final song wiped all of those memories from the crowd’s mind. The huge rush for their merch booth was proof of that.

Finally, Dosh came on to close the evening. Mostly known for his work with Andrew Bird, Martin Dosh is using this tour to support his new album Wolves and Wishes. If you’re at all familiar with it, you’ll be blown away by how faithfully Dosh was able to recreate the album’s thickly layered sound live, with just himself and the help of Mr. Mike Lewis (also in Fog and Happy Apple). How is this mystical musical magic managed? Dosh uses looper pedals and a mixer to delicately layer the sounds of his partner in crime wailing on the sax, or himself laying down a scorching drum fill, and bit by bit he crafts the songs before your very eyes. Highlights included “If You Want To, You Have To,” from the new album, wherein Lewis’ weaving sax flirted over and around Dosh’s jazzy drums and droning loops; and the beautiful “Um, Circles and Squares” from The Lost Take, which had the crowd swaying and bobbing. I could watch these guys layer loops all day. Although this luscious, wall-of-sound approach was fantastic, I have to say that after Anathallo’s gorgeous harmonies (as well as Wesafari’s), Dosh’s purely instrumental set left me wanting some vocals. Dosh’s knob twiddling was brilliant, but seemed more thought-provoking than cathartic.

Still, by the end of the night everyone was cheering, swaying, bouncing, or doing whatever came naturally. As Dosh left the stage, everyone around me kept saying what a great concert it was, even as they once again rushed to the merch booth. The pairing of Anathallo and Dosh was fantastic! If you live in one of the cities left on this tour (listed at Anathallo’s MySpace page), you NEED to get yourself a ticket! As for Anathallo, seeing is believing.

Believe!
Anathallo: (Official / MySpace)
Dosh: (Official / MySpace)
Wesafari: (Official / MySpace)

review to your liking? You'll sweat:

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Beirut + Laura Barrett - The Commodore (Vancouver, BC; May 22, 2008)

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