The Dodos / Au
Spiegelent, 9.29.08
As I walked into the infamous Spiegeltent—a traveling tent located at the South Street Seaport—I was instantly reminded of the splendor of the venue. Used to seeing live music in dark hole-in-the-wall bars and colossal venues, seeing anyone play at Spiegeltent is always a real treat.
Immediately greeted by the wild experimental sounds of Portland band Au. Au, performing as a duo, generated a surprisingly full sound that actually bettered their critically acclaimed sophomore record, Verbs. In the live setting, the songs aired out and filled the room beautifully. At times their set felt epic, with meandering breakdowns into experimental jams that would return magnificently to the most melodic of their songs. Au fits alongside bands like Animal Collective, TV on the Radio and Dirty Projectors who continue to find ways to bring new ideas into the music world without straying from the idea of melody.
As good as Au were, headliners The Dodos were even better, proving the hype right. The band’s 2008 release Visiter is as good as any record put out this year, and helped draw much-deserved attention to the folk-rockers. Performing primarily as a duo (with some extra help on the trash can and xylophones), they created an amazing amount of energy despite having both members seated. Singer/guitarist Meric Long performed while literally on the edge of his seat, bouncing like a maniac. His voice sounded incredibly smooth despite later being revealed that he has mono. Drummer Logan Kroeber was equally passionate, laying down his frantic drumbeats. The additional trash can bangs acted as a perfect compliment to the simple yet energetic songs. Highlights like “Jodi,” “Fools” and “Paint the Rust” felt just as immediate as on record, probably more so.
It was just announced that The Dodos will return to Brooklyn in December to play the Brooklyn Masonic Temple with The Walkmen, on December 16. With both those bands on the bill, that’s not a show to be missed.