Yeasayer | 04.03.10 | Washington, D.C.

By: Dan Ettinger

Yeasayer :: 04.03.10 :: 9:30 Club :: Washington, D.C.

Yeasayer by JacktheRipper25/last.fm

On the first show of their U.S. tour, with a sold out crowd roaring in approval, Yeasayer ambled onto the 9:30 Club‘s stage.

Odd Blood, the band’s second studio release, is full of juxtapositions. Uplifting lyrics often accompany creepy, futuristic, dark music, or vice versa. The live setting perfectly showcased these contrasts. Strange piano arpeggios looped over a booming bass on opener “The Children” as lead singer Chris Keating‘s heavily processed voice oozed through the mic. “Children” sounded as if Radiohead‘s “Street Spirit” drank too much Dextromethorphan and was almost too fucked up to function.

The syrupy goodness of “Children” gave way to the bouncy pop of “Rome” and the crowd started to get down, which is quite a rarity in D.C. Even the Dirty Projectors‘ “Stillness is the Move” only elicited slight head nods from a D.C. audience. “I Remember,” a wistful, trippy ode to a former lover, mesmerized the crowd as four white screens behind the band pulsed different colors along with the music, like a psychedelic heartbeat.

“2080” was a true highlight of the evening and nearly burned down the house, Talking Heads style. “2080” is a song about being handed your future when you are born and dancing away the tribulations that come along with this predicament. Those who knew the complex lyrics to this apocalyptic, carpe diem tune sang along, and the rest simply yelled in unison with the chorus.

A completely rearranged “Mondegreen” pulsed with a heavy reggaeton beat (seriously). Guitarist Anand Wilder‘s patient, reverb heavy solos shone through intense synths and Keating’s almost-rap-like delivery.

Yeasayer by hilary8706/last.fm

With the majority of the songs coming from Odd Blood, it was fascinating to compare the evolution of the band’s sound against tracks from their debut, All Hour Cymbals (JamBase review). Most of the older songs sounded folksy, with a tinge of Middle Eastern pop. The newer songs were much more driving, catchy and quixotic. Behind “Wait for the Summer’s” lush sitar loops and a key change worthy of a Bar Mitzvah, percussionist Jason Trammell played sixteenth notes on the hi-hats with a shaker in one hand and sleigh bells in the other. This was quite a contrast to Odd Blood‘s dance hit, “O.N.E.,” or the inspirational “Ambling Alp”.

After pausing for a brief encore break, the band finished with the quiet, cascading “Grizelda,” which segued into All Hours‘ percussive opener “Sunrise.” Although they only played for about an hour and 15 minutes, Yeasayer showcased an impressive ability to weld together diverse, incredibly fun influences, creating a futuristic, must- see show. After each song, band members would continue to improvise with various noises and synth settings, perhaps giving the audience a glimpse into the group’s creative process. As the tour continues I imagine these noises will soon bleed into the songs, creating a non-stop dance party.

Providence, Rhode Island natives Javelin opened the show with danceable, electronic tunes and hilarious backing clips (including a 1990’s Shaquille O’Neal rap video).

Yeasayer :: 04.03.10 :: 9:30 Club :: Washington, D.C.
The Children, Rome, Wait for the Summer, I Remember, Tightrope, 2080, Love Me Girl, Mondegreen, O.N.E., Strange Reunions, Madder Red, Ambling Alp
E: Grizelda, Sunrise

Check out JamBase’s recent Yeasayer feature.

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