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Words by: Jillian Horn | Images by: Julia Blaustein
Department of Eagles/The Cave Singers :: 01.25.09 :: Café du Nord :: San Francisco, CA
The Department of Eagles stopped by Café du Nord for two back-to-back performances (an early and a late show), each contrastingly wrapped in neat precision and imperfect freshness. Just as their latest album (In Ear Park) reflects, the performance served as an intimate display of hard work and creativity. Joined by the Seattle based The Cave Singers, the night was a double punch of originality and clarity-inducing ambience.
Members of the group include former New York University roommates Fred Nicolaus (an East Bay native) and Daniel Rossen, who have dipped together in the music pool since 2000. After releasing their debut album, The Cold Nose, in 2003 as the Department of Eagles, a brief hiatus ensued, resulting in Rossen landing a top spot as singer, guitarist and songwriter for the popular indie-group Grizzly Bear. Nicolaus, however, ventured into a 9-to-5 job, but never stopped writing. The buddies remained in contact, and continuously worked on material in hopes of an eventual emergence as a more experienced, all-encompassing force. Now armed with one of the most acclaimed albums of 2008, it is safe to say that In Ear Park was worth the wait.
This particular tour stop was one of the final performances on the group's brief, sold-out West Coast run. Prior to this, Department of Eagles flew through a collection of European dates before picking back up on the East Coast for more sold-out gigs. At Café du Nord, the enveloping feel of anticipation and the unknown thickly took command of the space, and as The Cave Singers took the stage to open the night, the excitement was undeniable.
 The Cave Singers :: 01.25 :: S.F. |
The three members of the minimalist folk group started with a slow, steady opener, entrancing the crowd filled with 20-somethings to 50-somethings, either friends of the band or friends of their sound. Lead singer Pete Quirks' vocals (sounding like the offspring of Deer Tick's John McCauley and Page France's Michael Nau) carried the set with precision and seriousness, closed eyes and clasped hands. Rousing through nine songs, primarily off their debut album, Invitation Songs, the group (also including Derek Fudesco on guitar and Marty Lund on drums) proved their ability to represent old folk and bluegrass, all while offering a twist of indie-rock when least expected. The urgent but lovely track "Helen" favored well with the crowd, as did "Dancing On Our Graves," where Lund traded the drums for the washboard, lighting up the room with a new sense of groove.
With the opener's set complete and a quick switch of instruments, Rossen of Department of Eagles took the stage with casual grace and excitement. He stood solo, banjo in hand, and opened with "Balmy Night," just one of many tracks off In Ear Park that has the ability to both haunt and revive the spirit. His vocals were exceptionally strong and whimsical, and the lucky audience could do nothing but stare in silence. It was the moment where the night fell effortlessly into place.
 Department of Eagles :: 01.25 :: S.F. |
The remainder of the band joined after the opening song, including Nicolaus, as well as some additional help from bassist Chris Taylor and Grizzly Bear's drummer Chris Bear. From the melodic title track "In Ear Park" to the climactic force of "Phantom Other," the solidarity among the group was ever-present as they flawlessly danced from one song to the next. Within their nine-song set, they pleased by showcasing a brand new track, charged with their signature vocal-looping and echo-filled harmonies. The group remained viewer-friendly and refreshingly human as they encountered some brief delays between song-changes. To cover their tracks, they explained that the early set was for working out the kinks, and joked the later set would be where the debauchery and swearing would begin.
The set began to wind down when the group debuted a slower, more jazz-like take on their notable single "Nobody Does It Like You." Rossen and the others then left the stage to give a solo Nicolaus the chance to connect with his local following (family and friends aplenty), and take a stab at an original titled "Little One." Nicolaus, rightfully so, was met with encouragement and cheers, and the vulnerability and excitement of his lone declaration was more than accepted.
The quick encore brought the set full circle, as a solo Daniel Rossen appeared onstage once more to demonstrate his masterful vocal looping and to preview one more new track. With that, the stage emptied once more, as did the Café du Nord, making room for the late shift to descend into a night of transfixed elation.
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