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Elliot Hall | West Lafayette, IN | 11.03.01
Hill Auditorium | Ann Arbor, MI | 11.04.01
I knew we were in trouble when the flickering asterisk lights appeared high up on the walls of Elliot Hall, and for a second I swore they were my brain waves being projected into the far reaches of the venue. During the introduction to “Little Faces,” the second song of the set, cascading streams of tiny orange lights appeared behind the percussion set, making me feel lost at sea until the fog-horn effect of the guitar loop brought me back to the surface. After leaving the Oysterhead show in West Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday night, I felt like I’d been put through the ringer – jolted by a deep undercurrent and set to float above the trees, only to be grounded again by the low, mean groove of this amazing trio.
I’d been curious as to how the styles of these three unique musicians (Trey “Antipasto” Anastasio, guitar; Les “Clickity Clack” Claypool, bass; and Stewart Copeland, drums and percussion) would mesh out, and the result was a tight, mind-bending musical experience. It was hard to say who I was most excited to see onstage, but it was especially thrilling to watch Stewart perform. You had to keep your eye on the guy, either out of fear of getting hit with a flying drumstick or of missing the subtleties of his performance, particularly his lovely percussion work in “Birthday Boys.” Les, with his theatrical sensibilities, is also someone to watch. But it’s so easy to get wrapped up in his circus ringleader voice and stark stage props – both of which made “Shadow of a Man” and “The Grand Pecking Order” so effectively chilling – that I’d sometimes overlook his superb bass lines. It felt as if the grooving current was actually emanating from the floor below us. Of course, Trey was up to Trey par that night, as he effortlessly switched from electric guitar to acoustic guitar to electric “matterhorn guitar” that produced a spooky vibrating effect (don’t ask about the latter; you just have to check it out for yourself). One particular stand-out was “Birthday Boys,” in which he gave us a remarkable acoustic turn before elevating the song into yet another intricate, engrossing jam.
The “Birthday Boys” in Ann Arbor on Sunday night was even more inspired, with an especially delicate Trey acoustic rendering that later threatened to evolve into a bluegrass number (complete with Les on “banjo” bass); or, at least as close to bluegrass as Oysterhead will ever get. And when they raised the streaming orange sails during “Radon Balloon,” I could again feel a floating sensation and those exquisite melodies seemingly falling from the sky.
Truth be told, however, the Ann Arbor performance was not as compelling as that in West Lafayette the previous night. Whereas in West Lafayette “Shadow of a Man” had a strong sense of impending doom, the Ann Arbor version seemed somehow more lighthearted. (The effects in West Lafayette might have been enhanced by the crowd’s glowstick “war” during the song’s stark introduction, but once the glowsticks subsided the eerie effects of the song were even more apparent.) “The Grand Pecking Order,” which was played in West Lafayette but skipped in Ann Arbor, also grabbed my attention. While not a melodious song in any sense, it delivered an image of a uniformed marching formation, with Les’s menacing, chicken-like vocals rounding out the effect.
The Sunday show had its moments, too. In Ann Arbor, as in West Lafayette, the “Owner of the World” and “Mr. Oysterhead” jams brought out some great interplay between Trey and Les. And it was good to hear “Rubberneck Lions” in Ann Arbor, which featured some fine Stewart work on the drum set. And yet, though “Polka Dot Rose” sounded mighty nice both nights, the “Keep on painting” chorus in West Lafayette had much more of an urgent tone to it, almost like a call to action. And while the bombastic “Psuedo Suicide” opener in West Lafayette jarred my head with its Pink Floyd-esque call-outs between Les and Trey, the rendition in Ann Arbor, while rousing, seemed somehow more subdued in comparison.
Don’t get me wrong: Both shows confirmed that this is a band to watch out for, and were enough to make you understand what this trio is capable of achieving. These seasoned musicians reach great heights (and depths) through sheer talent and the most basic of stage elements, including a superb sound system and simple yet incredibly effective lighting design. In a less inspired moment, Oysterhead is still far more imaginative and exciting than most musical offerings today. Sadly, it seems the primary focus of mainstream music is inoffensive, identical-sounding songs and multiple set/costume changes that overwhelm the actual “music.” Fortunately for us, Oysterhead offers a welcome refuge, albeit one that often catapults you to the far, dark reaches of the mind.
Margaret Pitcher
JamBase | Midwest (soon to be West Coast)
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