Megafaun make me want to move to Durham, North Carolina where I imagine my life would involve frolicking around in forests, exploring gorges and finding shady rocks to use as diving boards into hot springs.  Brothers Brad and Phil Cook, along with Joe Westerlund make music that’s best served gathered in a circle lit by the moon and campfire while you “sing to each other like friends telling stories,” as their buddies Akron/Family might say.

These young men create the perfect fusion of upbeat rhythms, freak folk, and super-experimental psych rock. But, quite honestly, their kickass beards were what won over the crowd instantly August 4th at The Echo opening for Bowerbirds. The night’s set was drawn almost entirely from their new album, Gather, Form & Fly, which Phil Cook informed me was influenced in part by the death of his grandfather. But their energy comes off as anything but mournful:  it’s spontaneous enough for fans, inclusive enough for first-timers, and funny from the ridiculous banter and shit-talking between songs. The Cook brothers even jumped off stage, bouncing and goofing off with the grinning crowd. They’re happy to be playing in LA. Brad Cook pours his heart out to the audience revealing that he is the world’s biggest Lakers fan and spent all of Tuesday loitering at Staples Center. Subsequently he ended up “dusting his bank account on Lakers swag” the next day.

I’m beaming because they are beaming. It feels like they’re family. I grab the Captain’s arm and squeeze so tight as to let out some form of pent up aggression in the realization that they are about to rock my world for the next thirty minutes. This is my second time seeing Megafaun, and what is surprising about their live performance compared to their album is how much their most somber and soft songs make you want to dance. And dance HARD.

Charming as hell, in that “mountain-man-please-keep-me-warm-baby” way, they sing each song, each harmony, each note tender and blissful, mixing standard song structures with noise freakouts. They won us over immediately with “The Fade.” It plays like a happy and upbeat declaration of death and explains our minds slowly and regrettably let memories slide. But they’re smiling, and so I know everything is going to be OK.

Phil paces the title track “Gather, Form & Fly” with banjo rhythms, though his fingertips pluck the strings so softly you would think the mere touch was an accident. This fades dirty and raw when Joe Westerlund transitioned from thinking out loud with the crowd to belting out “Been a long time since I’ve spoke to an extent, reflecting on the past and the roots of intent,” emphasizing each word like he’s almost pissed off in a cute way. Then the Cook brothers join in on the vocals and  funky riffs during  “Columns.”

The highlight of the evening was when the trio engaged in free form noise experimentation for three-or-so minutes at the beginning of “The Darkest Hour,” thereafter belting out in unison, “I have been wallowing inside the darkest hour.” Their lips are nearly a foot from the microphone, which gives the harmonies a distant and faded sound. But Megafaun is anything but withdrawn from us.

For their last song, the trio formed together unplugged at the front of the stage for, “Tides.” The song sounds different from the album version in the most familiar way possible. They sang their last words with eyes closed, chins up and beards glowing. It was beautiful.

Enjoy the pics.

“The Group”

Two weeks ago, I went on a mini tour to see Dirty Projectors back-to-back nights at the Troubadour and then the Casbah in San Diego. The first night consisted on a special night out between Ebee and I where we decided it should be just the two of us as we tried to recapture the magical events that had inspired so much awe in us on New Years Eve in New York merely 7 months ago.

I have been a fan of the DP from back when the band consisted mainly as a solo act from the gawky Frontman Dave Longstreth. He would record breathtakingly awkward songs on a four track in his room that were mostly uncut and special in an Elliott-Smith-roman-candles kind of way. Their new album is in stark contrast to this, featuring professional sound and a much fuller, polished composition. I had illegally downloaded, Bitte Orce, about 6 months ago but decided that I wanted to hear the songs performed live for the first time, so I deleted it. This new philosophy of listening to music live for the first time has created a child-like giddiness leading into shows; I highly recommended it. Anyway, their new band is a much expanded lineup from its humble origins featuring three beautiful young woman, a new bass player, and a drummer plus the Frontman. The band has been able to unlock new sounds unlike any other rock band in the indie underworld that I have heard to date. There are looping interwoven harmonies, vocals that sound like a keyboard and off-centered time signatured drum sequences that flow even within their fragmented structure. The guitar work of Dave Longstreth is so different to me with his pick only strumming strings in which his fingers are placed on. I am at a loss for describing it effectively but it reminds me of David Byrne if that helps (whom they just collaborated with in Dark Night Compilation). Bottom line is the effects of the concert were electric to me, particularly the song Remade Horizons(watch the vid); the song begins with a landscape of bopping female voices, followed by an entirely new song sequence, yet by the middle the two separate loops have been united, creating a whirlwind of cold air through the frontal lobe. Seriously my legs began to weaken and my mind quieted, forgetting time.
San Diego was more of the same except the familiarity of songs now created a warmness in my heart rather than fascination from new discovery of sound. Additionally I was about to take three old friends from Texas to the show. Fun I hope was had by all and I got to meet a hilarious guy named Tim who yelled out that he loved Wilson Phillips before DP performed….it was awesome.

Enjoy the pics.

Best Dressed: Devendra Banhart

Best Glasses: Art’s Orange Shades

Woman who Stole my Heart: Raver girl at Throbbing Gristle

Best Raver Crew: Homeboys/girls from Malibu

Best Pose: Arthur before Friendly Fires

Best Nair Polish: Blondie Woman (this is for you, JP)

Best Passed Out Couple in Love: 11:30 pm couple

Best Headband: AK – Fam (nuff said)

Best Hat: Buffalo Season

Best Penis on a Windshield: Poor Guy who owns this car

Best Prop to Trip Out at: Malibu Blue Grow Tube

Best Crowd Prop: A flying Dolphin

Best Shirt: Self Explanatory

Best Congo Player: Tinariwen

Best Surprise Band of the Weekend: Throbbing Gristle

Most Wasted: Guy did not open his eyes or ash his cigarette the whole time

Runner Up Best Wasted Couple in Love: 10:30 Saturday Night Couple

Most Guitarist on Stage for one Band: Brian Jamestown Massacre at 5 Guitarist

Hottest Woman Ever: Belinda of MBV

Best Man Made Flower:

Happiest Band Member: Tinariwen

Happiest Guy in the Sahara Tent: MRoyed

Best Guitar Duo: Superchunk

Happiest to See me: Ebee

Best Crowd Shot: Amanda Palmer singing “Creep” after crowd surfing to the back

Coolest Art Exhibit: Artificial Lightning

Best Art Exhibit: The Flaming Dragon