J. Tillman took the stage at the Middle East Upstairs for a late show on Sunday night. But then again, it was only 8pm in Seattle, the west-coast town that this drummer from Fleet Foxes calls home.
The performance was a family affair, with J. Tillman’s brother Zach opening as a solo act called Pearly Gates Music. Zach Tillman offered us a stripped-down version of his already sparse style: leaving behind all unnecessary instruments, he came to us as one man and a guitar crooning blues and covering Pavement’s “Shoot the Singer.”
The Middle East Upstairs is an intimate venue, allowing audiences to rub noses with the performers. Zach Tillman self-deprecatingly commented on this lack of personal space: “Whoa, dude. You guys are close. Last show, there was like a 15-foot perimeter. And not because there was security or anything. People just chose to be that far away.”
After Pearly Gates, the flannel-clad, full-bearded band backing J. Tillman took the stage to a surprisingly chill audience. The place was packed, but these hipsters were polite, exerting themselves only just enough to pass as decent human beings. Was it Sunday night after a long weekend of parties?
Or maybe it was simply that the performance took a few unexpected twists. If I could have listened to J. Tillman’s soothing croon all night, I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s what I was expecting from a Fleet Fox.
Instead, J. Tillman vacillated between a straight-up folk artist sound à la Sam Beam and smash-and-shred noise-fests à la Sonic Youth. It made for variety, but not in the peanut-butter-and-chocolate vein of brilliance. More like peanut-butter-and-salsa. And it made me queasy.
There were moments (of pure peanut-butter smoothness) where the steel and acoustic guitars and J. Tillman’s voice transported me to heights of pure nostalgia, a place where things couldn’t have been more right with the world.
And the encore brought the lullaby tunes I had been craving all night: J. Tillman and his acoustic guitar serenading an audience with “James Blues” before we stumbled home to bed. This, folks, was all I really wanted.
DOWNLOAD: J. Tillman - Though I Have Wronged You (MP3) or Follow us for more J. Tillman MP3s (Twitter)
The National - 9/11
Marymoor Ampitheatre
The Black Keys - 10/2
The Paramount Theatre
Broken Social Scene - 10/10
Neumos
Broken Social Scene - 10/15
The Paramount Theatre
It was a great show. The energy was intense. I was lucky enough to be right up front.
by Burt on Thu Sep 2, 2010 at 05.01 pm from the entry: The Avett Brothers + Langhorne Slim - Crystal Ballroom (Portland-town, OR; Aug. 30, 2010)
lovin trackz #4,13, and 16
by Phoxy Philly on Thu Sep 2, 2010 at 04.03 pm from the entry: Chiddy Bang's "The Swelly Express" Mixtape (download)
Nice concerning as better as clarifying position.Gives Thanks for providing for us.I show your article with my delight.
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by jhon on Thu Sep 2, 2010 at 02.35 pm from the entry: Tiny Vipers + Rafael Anton Irisarri + Cars & Trains - Mississippi Studios (Portland; Jul. 14, 2010)
agree with beth! dope stuff on both sides of the review.
by @bosconcertphoto on Wed Sep 1, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: DJ /rupture + Tanlines - Whitney Museum (New York, NY; August 27, 2010)
Thanks Nicole!
Just wanted to say that although this may be our last time performing this show, I have many other projects in the works. Info and show schedule is on my website.
- Ben
by Ben Darwish on Tue Aug 31, 2010 at 11.47 pm from the entry: Ben Darwish - Afrobeat Tribute to Michael Jackson - Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA; August, 29, 2010)
Love these photos and review. So, these DJ sets are at 7:30? I don’t really get it. And are these gonna continue once the Whitney moves? And most importantly, where can I attend an “hour-long clinic on shaking ass?”
by beth on Tue Aug 31, 2010 at 06.44 pm from the entry: DJ /rupture + Tanlines - Whitney Museum (New York, NY; August 27, 2010)
Super post there! Comprehensive and well collated material. Thanks for sharing.
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by jhon on Tue Aug 31, 2010 at 01.56 pm from the entry: Deerhoof + The Donkeys + Southeast Engine - Berbati's Pan (Portland, OR; July 6, 2010)
