One of my biggest gripes as a fan of live music is the fact that most stages are set up in a fairly predictable manner: guitarist and lead singer in front, keyboard and bass off to either side, and drum player in the back, in the shadows, hidden by the drum set. It’s often tough to even see the percussionist, nestled so far toward the back wall, and it’s basically impossible to snap a good photo of him. On Thursday, though, two bands gave the keys to the drummers for a night and let them drive. How refreshing.
The sold out show at The Middle East Downstairs started out with The Ruby Suns, a charming band from New Zealand that positioned their drum set at the front of the stage. Using a combination of pre-recorded loops and live instruments, the trio made a considerable ruckus, giving the crowd an immediate shot in the arm. The Suns’ Caribbean-infused indie stadium-rock was enough to get the pit dancing, with the heavy lifting being done by drums and drum machines. Vampire Weekend’s less polished and less preppy cousin, The Ruby Suns are the cool kid from out of town who you want to hang out with.
As a result of a solid opening set, the crowd was amped up and ready when The Dodos hit the stage. Playing a mixture of tunes from their latest two albums, Visiter and Time To Die, The Dodos packed an even greater punch than The Ruby Suns, with two drum get-ups and a vibraphone ensuring that percussion remained in control. Keaton Snyder, manning the vibraphone, played with four metal-tipped mallets held in a manner evocative of Wolverine’s claws. Snyder oscillated back and forth between vibraphone and drums, in turn soliciting clear, singing notes and quick, harsh drum blasts. It was the perfect engine for The Dodos.
It is important to note that although the drums were the centerpiece of the evening, they were by no means the only instrument worth paying attention to on Thursday night. Drummer Logan Kroeber plays on a kit without a bass drum, leaving plenty of sonic space for his compatriots. Lead Dodo Meric Long filled that space by shredding an acoustic-electric guitar masterfully, occasionally taking the wheel and steering the band in a more melodic direction. His solos were impressive and transfixing without being showy or flashy—a tough balance to find.
Long also let his voice serve as an instrument on multiple occasions, really milking the melodies he could belt out. On tunes like “Fables” and “The Strums,” his vocals provided a counterpoint to the rhythm of the drums, lightening the mix enough to make the crowd slow their dancing and remember that there were performers on stage. Using talent rather than brute force, The Dodos were able to take an unassuming stage show and command the attention of hundreds.
The set wasn’t flawless: a few songs sounded similar enough as to border on monotonous; there were a couple of moments where it seemed like the band lost its groove; and an experiment with glow-sticks in the dark turned out to be cooler in theory than in practice. But when everything meshed, all was forgotten.
Nowhere was this clearer than on standout hit “Fools.” Snyder used a cello bow to tease notes out of the vibraphone, creating an airy canvas upon which the drums splattered paint. As the two drum kits wove together, Long’s voice was joined by the crowd in stabbing the air with familiar exclamations of “Oh! Oh! Oh!” An extended instrumental jam served as a cool-down from that pinnacle and closed out the set. The crowd called the band back, and an encore of “Walking” sent the fans on their way home, satiated, pleased, and with drums ringing in their ears.
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he is amazing bro his style can not be touched....some people dont know what he is talking about caz u dont do what he does he is sickkk bra
by dylyn on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 11.59 am from the entry: Wiz Khalifa: Burn After Rolling (Mixtape)
Wow,Great post.Thanks for sharing with us. land wi
by wisconsin land on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 09.53 am from the entry: of Montreal + Gang Gang Dance - Orpheum Theatre (Boston, MA; Oct. 30, 2008)
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
