PHOTOS: BRIGID GALLAGHER | of Montreal and Deerhoof played to a sold out crowd at Chicago’s Metro last Friday night and it was a blissfully satisfying show. Both bands are touring to promote their latest releases—of Montreal’s Aureate Gloom and Deerhoof’s La Isla Bonita.
Deerhoof hail from San Francisco, CA and celebrated their 20th anniversary last year with the release of their new record. They’re known for their erratic, noisy sound that reels you in and makes you sweat it out for three minutes or so. And they keep it simple—their lyrics, their riffs, their gear—it’s minimalistic, but it seems to provide a perfect base for listeners to interpret and experience the band’s music in a hugely personal way.
Deerhoof opened with two of their best tracks from La Isla Bonita, “Exit Only” and “Paradise Girls.” The energy on stage was non stop. Drummer, Greg Saunier, was so physical that somewhere between playing “We Do Parties” and “Last Fad” he stopped to explain that he’d have to readjust the cardboard resting underneath the drum set because it had shifted while he was playing. It is always fun to see bassist and vocalist Satumi Matsuzaki’s voguing and jumping along to John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez’s heavy rifts. The bare stage really allows for each member’s personalities and musicianship to shine.
Kevin Barnes is known for his eccentric personality but more importantly, for leading of Montreal, a band who play intricate, sweeping, psychedelic pop songs that are complemented by elaborate stage sets, various costume changes, and an MC dressed in one of those full body spandex suits. It’s quite a spectacle. They played some of their old favorites, drawing from an extensive catalog, like “Forecast Fascist Future” and “Suffer for Fashion” as well as newer ones like “Bassem Sabry” and “Empyrean Abattoir.”
Even if Aureate Gloom was described by Barnes’ as “sort of all over the place musically,” the show was loose and playful in the best way possible. If the show was any indication of what’s to come in the future, there really are no signs of either band slowing down—and you should make it your business to see them.
DEERHOOF
