Deerhoof's performance last Sunday night at the Black Cat saw its fair share of problems.
Not only did the show start nearly two hours late, but Deerhoof experienced a number of technical issues: Guitarist John Dieterich broke a string and had some pedal difficulties, while singer Satomi Matsuzaki blew out her bass cabinet on the last song before the encore.
Despite the hang ups, the band stuck steadfastly to its music and somehow delivered one of the most combustible sets of non-stop, neck-jerking, noise-pop that anyone in D.C. has likely heard in a while.
Technical issues were met with relatively good humor, too. Drummer Greg Saunier would rise from his kit, stroll slowly over to Matsuzaki's mic, bend down to meet its five-foot height and announce in an almost bashful tone, "John broke a string and also broke the electric rainbow machine."
Strangely enough, out of all the devices that could have malfunctioned that night, the electric rainbow machine was not one of them. The pinwheel-like structure spun feverishly without fail while flashing an assortment of colors in sync with Deerhoof's music.
As exciting as it was to witness the "maiden voyage of the electric rainbow machine," the audience was more assured by the fact this latest incarnation of Deerhoof, one that does not include guitarist Chris Cohen, could still shred like the old band.
Their streamlined roster drew attention to the finely crafted art rock of Deerhoof's latest album, "Friend Opportunity," and the otherworldly connection members exhibited as they blasted through one song after another.
Take the band's opening number, for instance. It was actually three songs mashed tightly together-"The Eyebright Burglar," "+81" and "This Magnificent Bird Will Rise"-that melded into one coordinated shock of Deerhoof's inexplicable charm. Unabashed pop glee quickly turned into marching band drums and the catchiest riff in the band's arsenal, finally shattering straight toward epileptic guitar trauma and snare drum tremors.
Deerhoof is the unique kind of band that can't be fully understood until seen live. There's something missing on those studio recordings, some element of immediacy or intensity that can only be conveyed when the space between listener and band has been reduced to mere feet.
Perhaps it's the visual element, and not the amped up sound, that's so vital to the experience. Simply listening to Saunier's drumming doesn't quite compare to seeing his massive arms mash his tiny snare and bass drums. Or watching him pause, tense with crazed but calculated energy, for the next instrumental breakdown.
The same goes for Dieterich. While his guitar work can sometimes be the most prominent element in a song, it's not always clear just how skilled he is. Alternately finger picking and regular picking his electric guitar, Dieterich stood firmly planted at center stage. He wobbled about, occasionally gyrating with the music as though he were an unstable automaton.
What Matsuzaki brings to the live show isn't necessarily as important to the music as it is to the atmosphere. On "Kidz Are So Small," the first song of the encore, she hopped about the stage, dancing and swinging her arms.
Her blithe voice, singing such lyrics as, "If I were man and you were dog/I would throw a stick for you," draped unobtrusively about the instrumentals while also serving to soften some of their edge.
Without Matsuzaki, Deerhoof wouldn't be considered pop music. And without Saunier and Dieterich, Deerhoof wouldn't even come close to noise rock either. All three together, however, create one dynamic performance.
Not quite as dynamic, but still rather enjoyable, were Deerhoof's opening act, The Harlem Shakes. The band's blend of wispy blues, indie-pop exuberance, and ethereal vocals sent listeners' heads bobbing. But what its performance really came down to was how fast the band could bust out a short set and get off the stage. The audience had waited long enough. And they really just wanted to see Deerhoof.
DEERHOOF'S LATEST
"Friend Opportunity"
(Kill Rock Stars)
Grade: B
It seems that in spite of the band's experimental tendencies, Deerhoof has always gravitated strongly toward pop. Each new album has put Deerhof closer and closer to that destination, and "Friend Opportunity," the band's eighth studio album, is no exception.
Between the expansive grandeur of "The Runners Four" and the departure of guitarist Chris Cohen, Deerhoof seem to feel the need to retreat, to scale down its ambitions and to examine the rudimentary pop-song construction.
As a result, "Friend Opportunity" turns out to be the simplest work in the Deerhoof catalogue. The album launches with two energetic, hook-driven tracks, "Perfect Me" and "+81."
It then curls inside itself, running with a handful of low-key, surrealist compositions-"Believe in ESP" and "The Galaxist" are particularly good.
The album ends on a strange note, though. "Look Away," at nearly 12 minutes long, stands out as a something an oddity. It suggests an attempt to rectify their poorly written second album, "Holdy Paws." While that disc features a similar structure-several short tracks followed by one long experiment-it isn't nearly as engrossing as "Friend Opportunity."
DEERHOOF: A MUSICAL RETROSPECTIVE
Hearing Deerhoof for the first time usually turns out to be a musical experiences so disorienting that it's immediately emblazoned into the listener's brain cells. The music sounds muscular at times, delicate at others, and at every point in between as though a car crash of cymbals, squalls and squeaks has assaulted the ear drums.
Over this twisted amalgamation of sounds tiptoes the playful soprano of Satomi Matsuzaki. At first, her voice seems misplaced, even unwelcome, especially amid the company of Deerhoof's heavier, riff-driven material. But her relationship with the music only highlights the juxtaposed elements within a single song or even across an entire album.
The pleasant mixes with the perverse, the sweet with the sour, the disarming with the destructive. Not simply a band, Deerhoof represents a space where ideas that typically walk on opposite sides of the street now warmly shake hands with one another.
Where those ideas were, where they are going and how they relate to each other can only be understood through an examination of the band's back catalogue. Below are three albums that outline the band's journey from unlistenable indie obscurity to experimental pop powerhouse.
"The Man, The King, The Girl" (1997)
(Kill Rock Stars)
Grade: D
If Deerhoof were to transcribe the story of its formation in musical form, it might sound something like this first studio album. The band, which drummer Greg Saunier and bassist Rob Fisk formed in order to fill the vacant tour dates left by their disbanded goth-metal group, bore the qualities of a whim, a mistake, or even a joke.
Despite the addition of Matsuzaki's vocals, Deerhoof spends much of its time here experimenting at a frighteningly esoteric pace. Tracks like "Sophie" break under the weight of droning bass, spastic percussion and an electronic maelstrom of keyboard and looping effects.
While there are some pieces that could be construed as actual arrangements, many of the songs sound like nothing more than early demo work or fragmented ideas for future material at best.
"Reveille" (2002)
(Kill Rock Stars)
Grade: B-
Fast-forward two albums and Deerhoof has a firm grasp of its artistic vision, one that evenly balances noise and pop. The band, which now includes guitarist John Dieterich instead of Fisk, somehow stands more certain than before, as if unafraid to present compositions in their starkest forms.
"This Magnificent Bird Will Rise," one of the best tracks on the album, condenses the band's newfound confidence into a three-and-a-half-minute shot of spontaneity. The song's initial noise explosion gives way to Matsuzaki's child-like hums and then disintegrates. Dieterich alternates between a modem meltdown of guitar feedback and catchy hooks while Saunier plows through his snare and cymbals.
Throwaway noise tracks like "No One Fed So I Stayed" are still present, but they're short and easily forgivable. What matters most is that "Reveille" bubbles with a tension and focus not heard on previous Deerhoof recordings.
"The Runners Four" (2005)
(Kill Rock Stars)
Grade: A
The most epic and sublime of Deerhoof's albums, "The Runners Four" culls every facet of the band's songwriting ambition into 20 songs, which span 56 minutes - nearly twice as long as any one of the band's previous albums.
Never before has the band sounded as comfortable and as conscious as it does here. Deerhoof's previous works certainly had their own extraordinary ideas. But at some point, the band's spastic spirit took hold, overruling any effort to organize.
After listening to the first three tracks on "Runners Four," it's clear that a more deliberate Deerhoof is at work. The album itself is a very cohesive product, clearly divided into musical phases. Some portions are beautifully acidic ("Running Thoughts"), while others are breakneck punches of punk and noise rock ("Scream Team" and "Rrrrrrright").
Don't get the wrong impression, though. Deerhoof hasn't lost its love for the chaotic. The band has merely polished that chaos enough so that it sounds comprehensible on the second or third listen.
