The Oh Sees Soak Bell House in Beautiful Reverb
Thee Oh Sees
Bell House, 4.4.09
When you see as many concerts as I do, it's easy to become jaded. The gimmicks, the tricks, and the other bullshit becomes more and more apparent, but then a band like Thee Oh Sees comes in to town and restores my faith in rock & roll.
A week ago Rick Froberg and his new band Obits took the stage at Bell House and tore through a ridiculously good set loaded with Froberg's razor-sharp riffs. It was the type of set that's impossible to walk away disappointed by. Last night, on the same stage, John Dwyer and his latest project Thee Oh Sees provided an equally memorable performance. Much like Obits, as good as the rest of the band is, it all revolves around the genius frontman/guitarist—in this case ex-Coachwhips frontman John Dwyer. Much like Froberg, Dwyer seems far more in command of his instrument than most, as if it's an extra limb. The songs he and Thee Oh Sees creates are essentially nothing more than simple poppy 50s style surf-guitar rock & roll drenched in a dirty reverb, but it still sounds totally unique in its delivery. Thee Oh Sees are the band for all those who have grown sick of watching a couple of brightly dressed hipsters in sunglasses tinkering away at keyboards in that same faux avant garde style that lacks any sense of melody.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the large room so full for them headlining, after they essentially came through town relatively unnoticed on their tour last year. John Dwyer is finally starting to get his due respect.
Melodic Fuzz
Thee Oh Sees
Death By Audio, 9.28.08
Last night, I found myself sweating bullets and listening to fuzzed-out garage rock at Death By Audio. On the floor was San Francisco's Thee Oh Sees, the new project of former Coachwhips mastermind John Dwyer. The room was packed, and I was so close to the band that I was lucky to survive the performance without having my face struck with a tambourine or guitar neck. The intimacy, and DIY nature perfectly complimented the perfectly raw nature of the grimy music Thee Oh Sees generated in the unbearably hot space. Buried underneath a furious level of fuzz/reverb, John Dwyer and company played a melodic blend of psychedelic, garage-style surf rock that had the room simultaneously shaking their hips and tapping their toes.
For more about Thee Oh Sees, check out Greg Burgett's recent feature on the band.
MP3: "Ghost In The Trees"
