Hooves on the Turf

Download “Thread” | By the time Austin’s post-rock, instrumental quartet This Will Destroy You began to set up after Joemca’s opening set, the crowd in the cozy basement had thickened and moved right up front. The intense scrutiny that followed from a wall of faithful fans as the four members quaintly plugged this and that on a stage that is perhaps only a foot high is one of the rarities offered by the dimly lit Union Hall. There was a persistent guitar hum that Chris King eventually shrugged off with a mildly (very mildly) frustrated smile, but the sound that followed was pretty explosive for that tiny room (and the hum all but forgotten). At other shows I’ve seen there, including Andrew Bird’s secret gathering with the amazing Martin Dosh, and St. Vincent’s wildly expressive set, I don’t recall the sound being so well-suited for these muddy walls. The band members were pretty quiet, not uttering a single word, except when a drum stick flew off Andrew Miller’s hand, and Jeremy Galindo mouthed “thank you” to the fan who picked it up and returned it. The set, though, was consistently solid and immersive, and Andrew Miller was insane on the drums.

Download “Truth Skull” | I was glad to see my old friends Lymbyc Systym (“old friends” is clearly an exaggeration, of course, but I was so terribly impressed when drummer Mike Bell remembered me from the time I saw them at Galapagos in February of last year; I’m tempted to call the brothers “sweet kids”–mellow, talkative, friendly and so on; Mike was chatting up fans at the merch table later). At the Galapagos show the band was on an elevated stage, set up against a projection that involved skateboarding, and the crowd, unfamiliar with the performers, had been chatty. So seeing them at Union Hall with a respectful bunch was really refreshing. Besides, Mike is pretty much a superboy on the drums. He plays with power, not subtlety, and though I  generally prefer subtlety in drumming, Mike’s style suits the band’s positive, forthcoming personality. They played after This Will Destroy You, and seemed sincerely grateful that half the room had stuck around on a Monday night to watch them.

Download “Strangers” | Singer/guitarist Joemca began and ended the opening set with a solo song, and played everything in between with his band, The Poets. The performance with the band had its own charm, I guess, especially in the catchier songs that benefited from the drums and the shaker, for example, but the most impressive moment was still the solo closing track brimming with heartfelt guitar licks. That somewhat bluesy style seemed to be the strength, though we got very little of it, and though I kept wanting the band to come in at some point just for the sake of closure.

Union Hall,
Park Slope, Brooklyn
September 15, 2008