Deerhunter Might Be Thin, But Their Sound Ain't

Lee's Palace

Toronto, ON

on Jul 18 2007

Matt Littlefair (CHARTattack)

07/20/2007 10:00am

My ears are still humming and I'm in a bit of a daze. I can't get 'em to stop and it may be my own fault, but right now I couldn't care less because, on Wednesday night, Deerhunter decimated Lee's Palace in the best possible way. Maybe it was the ominous clouds or the endless caterwauling about impending rain, but the show was shockingly under-attended even with the rock-solid bill.

I only caught a handful of cuts from Jay Reatard, but their high-energy down 'n' dirty rock show was enough to spur some more in-depth investigation. While Chicago's The Ponys trotted out yet another stellar set, their particular brand of reverb-heavy garage rock has only sharpened since their last stop in Toronto. They played a heap of cuts from their best album to date, this year's Turn The Lights Out, with a no-nonsense work ethic.

Much is made of Deerhunter frontman Branford Cox's waifish frame, and it's impossible to deny that it's arresting the first time you see it up close. But it isn't heroin or even an extreme case of manorexia as some have speculated — it's a genetic disorder that has no bearing on the music but adds a striking visual impact in a live setting. It's an odd part of his magnetic draw.

As he's wont to do, Cox strutted out barefoot, clad in several layers of sequined ladies evening wear. He then spent the first two songs shedding the various layers, until he was left in a shimmering gold cocktail dress.

Whether he's giving any one of his fellow band members a peck on the cheek, standing on top of the kick-drum, swallowing the mic a la former tourmate Karen O. or traipsing all over the stage fiddling with guitars and drums, Cox is almost as captivating visually as he is musically.

The rest of Deerhunter stand in stark contrast to their frontman's overt theatricality. Clad in standard jeans and shirts, most members looked like they were struggling to stay awake, though you'd never know given the shattering amount of noise that seemed to come from all angles.

Playing cuts from this year's Cryptograms and the even better Fluorescent Grey EP, the band delivered a stunning but all-too-quick set, replete with thick guitars and Cox's often effects laden voice. The crowd might've been a little thin, but they were dedicated. One fan had crudely left heart-shaped sticky notes on the stage and Cox read several aloud, including one that coyly threatened to "Hunt you later."

Cox gamely replied, "Is that a threat? Bear in mind that I'm a homosexual," which was met with some easy laughter and a lot of cheering.

During closing track "Strange Lights," a scant 30 minutes after the show started, Josh Fauver's bass amp blew, at which point he packed it in and left the stage — straining to smile though the obvious frustration.

After a dedicated bit of cheering and a rabid resistance to venturing out into the damp night air, Deerhunter were coerced back to the stage. Cox had changed into jeans and a T-shirt and happily hopped into the arms of Ponys frontman Jerrod Gummere as the two engaged in some tongue-in-cheek mock-flirtation while the rest of the band borrowed equipment from their generous tourmates to make one quick encore possible. The show might've only lasted 35 minutes, but it was an amazing 35 minutes, which is better than a spotty 60-minute show any day of the week.