Three Imaginary Girls - Destroyer

Destroyer and Nurses at the Showbox

John in Ballard — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:40:35 +0000

3 Jun 2012

I have to admit a small part of me was just a bit worried about how this show would turn out. You see, despite having a name befitting a metal band, Destroyer can tend to veer towards the light, jazzy, lounge-act end of the musical spectrum. My apprehension was that there was a chance this show would be too mellow and laid back. Would music that casual still be interesting in a live setting? Luckily, any small hesitations I had were put to rest as soon as Destroyer took the stage Sunday night.

Front man Dan Bejar lead the eight piece band through a rather engaging and at times upbeat set, highlighted by the numerous fantastic tracks that make up their 2011 album Kaputt. An early standout of the night was "European Oils," which comes off of their 2006 album Destroyer's Rubies. The song started off light and smooth like a lot of other Destroyer songs, but as it progressed the guitar and piano picked up until it was absolutely rocking, and the band did it total justice by playing it LOUD.

Bejar himself came across as an almost-timid front man. He would often sing with his eyes closed, occasionally playing the tambourine with his back to the audience. His vocal style is a bit improvisational -- at times closer to talking than singing -- and he kept the songs spontaneous and interesting by changing the cadence and rhythm of the words from their recorded versions. He would often kneel down during the instrumental parts of the songs, almost seeming like he was trying to take a back seat for a moment and let the band step up and do their thing. The band certainly held up their end of the bargain, as they sounded absolutely tight and locked in throughout the night.

Destroyer's set list:

English Music / Savage Night at the Opera / European Oils / Kaputt / Downtown / Self Portrait With Thing / Chinatown / Rubies / Libby's First Sunrise / Foam Hands / Kara Walker

Encore: Bay of Pigs

Second Encore: Destroyer's The Temple

Portland's Nurses opened the show to a half-full house. Although last year's release Dracula seemed to slide under the musical radar, it saw the band's sound expand fuller and richer, with more bass lines and more soul than the somewhat stripped-down and experimental sound of their 2009 release Apple's Acre. Songs like "You Lookin Twice" and "Trying to Reach You" got the crowd in a good groove leading up to Destroyer's set. It seemed that for a large portion of the audience, this was their first introduction to Nurses. Thankfully they seemed to be very receptive and pleasantly responsive to band that can come across a little unconventional and eccentric to the uninitiated.

Destroyer seduces the Crocodile

Imaginary Shrie — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:06:16 +0000

6 May 2009

destroyer09may.jpg

Dan Bejar has always been a source of musical mysticism for me. I adore the New Pornographers, have been through lengthy Destroyer-only phases and have grown to love Swan Lake. His odd, slightly nasally but illuminatingly piercing, voice is completely original to him and coupled with his evocative songwriting, comes close to perfection at times.

Azita opened for Dan Bejar on his solo Destroyer tour at the Crocodile on Wednesday. I'd heard bits and pieces of her work for years, but never cared for it, so I was intrigued at the billing for this show. She sang solo, along with her keyboard and a laptop propped up on a box. She had a great deal of passion in her performance, and I'm sure that there are many devoted Azita fans that swear by her work, but I found her to be overly dramatic, off-key and less than stimulating.

Destroyer, on the other hand, was exactly what I expected. Ideally, he would have been traveling with a full band. But in the simplicity of just Dan and his acoustic guitar you could see the root of it all, instead of his songwriting and emphatic guitar playing being awash with four other instruments. He played many songs from the last couple of records, Destroyer's Rubies and Trouble In Dreams, and a personal favorite song, "Beggars Might Ride" from Streethawk: A Seduction.

The Crocodile was full, and I noticed several rapt crowd members whispering the lyrics as he sang. Dan was easy-going and comedic, falling into a quasi-bow after each song, his curly mop of hair careening towards the ground. He quipped humorously, mentioning Bobby McFerrin and his disbelief that "Don't Worry, Be Happy" could come out of anything less than the modern marvel of GarageBand.

All in all, his performance was immaculate and his lyrics carried across the room. It wasn't the bombastic life-affirming experience that I always surreptitiously hope for, but it was a representation of himself and what he does. And that in itself couldn't be more beautiful.

(Photos by Laura Musselman)

Tonight's Recommended Show: Destroyer at the Crocodile

Imaginary Shrie — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:15:23 +0000

The ever-prolific and oddly-voiced Dan Bejar will bring his Destroyer act to the new and improved Crocodile, Wednesday at 8pm. Tickets are only $12... a helluva deal!

Dan is a genius writer and has put his vocals to the test with nine, count them NINE, albums as Destroyer. He also formed supergroup Swan Lake with members from Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade, as well as his most infamous endeavour as co-songwriter for the New Pornographers.

Don't miss out on this rare chance to see Dan in all his glory. And come check out the awesome Croc!

Destroyer at The Middle East

Jer — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:04:09 +0000

21 Apr 2008

destroyer3.jpg

The days leading up to seeing Destroyer at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA went something like this:

Me: I'm going to see Destroyer next week
You: Cool! Is that a heavy metal band?
Me: No, it's this band with Dan Bay-jar... Bay-har? I'm not really sure how to pronounce his name.
You: Oh... who's that?
Me: He's one of the people in the New Pornographers
You: Oh, sweet! I like Neko Case!

Admittedly, I went into this show with a somewhat shallow expectations — as if I were going to see New Pornographers-lite. Unfortunately, I've never actually gotten the chance to see the New Pornographers live, so I had the feeling I was making up for that fact by seeing one of their members perform with his other band. A couple months ago I did the same thing with Neko Case — which was wholly entertaining, but just not entirely my cup of tea. So, when Destroyer came on my radar, I snapped at the chance to catch their act, all with the hope they'd capture the New Pornographers gold I'd been yearning for.

I picked up Destroyer's most recent release, Trouble In Dreams, and started listening to Destroyer's Rubies as well — an album I already owned, but had never really gotten into (except for a song here and there). The days leading up to the show, to my surprise, I started soaking up the music. The title track on Destroyer's Rubies quickly became a staple on my iPod despite it's nearly ten minute running time.

Destroyer put on an impressively solid show and they are by far my favorite of the New Pornographer solo acts and side projects (er, actually I guess New Pornographers is the side project...). Bejar definitely stands out from his NP colleagues — a fact that can be established just by looking at the names of their perspective solo work. Carl Newman goes by AC Newman, essentially his given name (Allan Carl Newman), and Neko Case does the same (although sometimes adding & Her Boyfriends to the moniker), while Bejar, whose act is just as much a solo project as Newman's and Case's, mixes things up by using "Destroyer" rather than headlining with his own name — a move that establishes his modesty and, perhaps, distaste for musical celebrity.

The opening acts were an excellent setup to the main show, featuring Boston's own Mean Creek and Oakland's Colossal Yes. Mean Creek started things off with a heavy sonic display, showering the slowly trickling crowd with excellent rock rhythms. A decent group built up towards the end of their short set, but it was clear more people were set to arrive as the night lingered on. Colossal Yes turned out some great tunes with their unique triumvirate of bass, drums and keyboard (no guitar). With the keyboardist, Utrillo Kushner, carrying the vocal work and much of the rhythm, Colossal Yes played a soothing variation of piano rock. Their tone was soft and pretty — something I would not have expected by the looks of them. They also provided an ideal transition between the intensity of Mean Creek and the engrossing powers of Destroyer. Kushner ended Colossal Yes's set by slowly repeating "Destroyer" into the microphone in an attempt to get the crowd pumped for the main act of the evening. It seemed to work, as the Monday night crowd at the Middle East (which had suddenly quadrupled in size) started to make some noise.

Destroyer came onstage without any flashy buildup or pretentious introductions. They so quietly took their places that the interlude music was still blasting from the speakers as they started playing their first song. The audience didn't seem prepared for Bejar to come on stage so quickly — he had the nonchalance of a roadie and spoke no more than a few words to the packed crowd in front of him. According to an interview with NPR in 2006, touring puts Bejar in a bad mood no matter how good a show is. He is not one who seems to enjoy the spotlight.

The music came with almost no interruptions. At one point the keyboardist made a comment congratulating the Canadians in their defeat of the Bruins earlier in the evening. The Boston crowd barely seemed to take notice of the comment — a testament to how good the show was going, or a commentary on the lack of interest in hockey? I'm not sure. I just wanted more music. They brought it.

Destroyer played a decently long set — I'd say somewhere around ninety minutes of consistent energy. They were at their best when playing their longer songs, like "Rubies," "My Favorite Year," and "Libby's First Sunrise." My favorite thing about Destroyer's music is their resounding guitar and keyboard solos played atop solid walls of sound. Nearly all their songs feature this at some point, and it definitely rang out clearly in their performance. Destroyer finished their set the same way they started it — quietly coming out for a brief encore, swiftly saying goodbye, heading offstage with humble essence.

I left the show with a new respect for Destroyer as a band and for Bejar as an artist. I still love the New Pornographers, but I can see why Bejar needs to have a project like Destroyer, just as Case and Newman need their own solo careers. I imagine a New Pornographers concert to be entirely different — plenty of back and forth with the audience, a chirpy atmosphere with a friendly yet rambunctious crowd. Destroyer played with a distinct and unusual style — haunting, epic, a drunken poetry of blues mixed with occasional chaos. With Destroyer, Bejar has his own music, his own creation, and, after seeing this show, it is clearly just as good if not better than his work with the New Pornographers... But I should probably see them live before I say that.

Destroyer played with a distinct and unusual style — haunting, epic, a drunken poetry of blues mixed with occasional chaos.

New Releases From Easy Street Records

Jflores — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:00:52 +0000

Must be Tuesday!

Another band to check out: Hello, Blue Roses

ChrisB — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:03:00 +0000

I really enjoy the New Pornographers, but when I listen to them, I get the feeling that they don't have enough going on outside of the band.