I’m not sure what the best part of tonight was. It was either the fact that Wavves totally and absolutely rocked, or it was one very special conversation I overhead. A not-s0-young man with the exact same haircut as Nathan Williams (seriously, exactly the same, shaved on the sides with a ducktail in the back) remarked to his friend, “I don’t know about Wavves hair, dude. He kinda looks like a skunk,” without even a hint of irony. Yep. The crowd at Santos might have been questionable (a strange mix of thirty-something men in suits and 18-something boys in greasy band t-shirts), but the caliber of Wavves’ performance was not.
I’ve done a lot of thinking about Wavves and his place in our blog-centric, Pitchfork-fueled, increasingly lo-fi music landscape of today. I recently wrote an article for BreakThru Radio complaining how despicable the media coverage of Williams has been, and ultimately decided that it was up to him to just keep making great music. If the show tonight was any indication, he’s done exactly that, and it seems that the meltdown in Barcelona may be the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
The new drummer was incredible. Zach Hill is a real-life version of animal from the Muppets. His crazy yellow hair is a mass of movement as he pounds the drums harder than almost anyone I’ve ever heard. Not that Ryan wasn’t a good drummer, but this guy takes the tunes to the next level, turning the lo-fi sing-alongs into all-out rock anthems. With such strong, forceful backing, Williams seemed more confident and poised than ever. He played his guitar as if he were a small boy, discovering for the first time that if he hit the strings, an enormous noise would happen, and played with all the joy that this suggests. He’s learned that his bedroom project simply can’t translate to the stage, and has given up on trying to make that happen. Instead, the duo have re-worked the songs into newer, louder, more feedback-driven punk rock, and the result is raw and powerful. Williams may yet turn into a true showman.
When I saw Wavves at Market Hotel several months ago, Williams seemed more bemused than anything at the crowd’s insane reaction to his music. This time around, he was ready for it. He took himself more seriously, and this was able to take the audience more seriously, as well. He put on a good show for us, rather than silently mocking us for actually liking him. A little confidence goes a long way, and everyone (Willaims included, I think) had a great time. It was only at the end of the show that we caught a glimpse of his petulant behavior. Williams leaned his guitar against the amp to feedback- an act normally reserved to fill the space before an encore- only to have the sound guys end the show five minutes later. It was fine, though. It’s best to keep the set short and sweet; he wouldn’t want to get too big for his breeches. Look what happened the last time.
Ganglians also put on an excellent set. I suspect that something wasn’t quite right with their vocal mics and that their “woos” and “oos” are a big part of their music, but musicianship managed to overcome any sound problems. Their songs are complicated and interesting, and manage to grow beyond most of the other bands in their lo-fi league right now. The guitar player was absolutely excellent, carrying the songs away on meandering riffs, while there were enough tempo changes and danceable beats to keep everyone satisfied. Bands like Ganglians and Woods are going to be the ones to come away from 2009 with lasting impact. Their live show was fun, but also incredibly musical. I’d like to see them again tomorrow at Market Hotel, a show you should definitely go to if you didn’t make it out tonight.
Ganglians:
Wavves:
