On most nights the choice is obvious, though Athens doesn’t make it easy. My musical destination is usually solved before I head out the door, but last night was one of those where Athens offers too much, and what promises to be an excellent show will have to be missed.
You just hope it’s not the night when Beck shows up for an impromptu hour-long set (yes, that happened here).
I left the house a little before 10 with three places in mind — the 40 Watt for STRFKR, World Famous for Elf Power and Georgia Theatre for Easter Island. Could I go to all three?
My quest for Elf Power was quickly dashed when it was clear there were no tickets to be had. I have seen Elf Power several times, and will see it next month when it opens for Neutral Milk Hotel on the first night of that three-night stint. But seeing Andrew Rieger and bandmates in a small place debuting a new album would have been sweet. I should have bought tickets earlier, but you never know in Athens. I moved on.
Around the corner the Watt was happily churning, and while I heard good things about STRFKR, all I really knew about the band was it has a song played in a Target commercial (does Target know the band is named STRFKR?). I took a chance and paid the $18 (which is crazy expensive for Athens, but really not much for tickets at all). Fellow Portland band Chrome Sparks was starting, and it was as good as an electronic/movie screen playing band can be. Musically it was like a washed out version of Washed Out, so I made a calculated risk — make a dash for the Theatre to see if I can be two places at once.
One of the Theatre’s new wrinkles (which the Watt doesn’t have) is the no re-entry policy, which means if I’m in, I’m in. It was a $5 ticket, so if I wanted to repay to get in again, I could. Hmmmm. I went inside, just as opening band Brothers was working through the first set.
A conundrum. I paid $18 to see STRFKR, so I’m seeing STRFKR. But I wanted to see Easter Island as well, especially since it was John Swint’s first night as the band’s new drummer, replacing Patrick Ferguson. I went to the rooftop to dwell in the cool, beautiful evening breeze.
Then I saw the loophole. Anyone can go up to the rooftop and re-enter the main building as long as you have the wristband. I took the elevator down, and headed to the Watt.
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It turns out that STRFKR RULES.
The Portland foursome came out to a roaring crowd, with singer Joshua Hodges (aka Sexton Blake) coming out in a modest, loosely-fitted dress (good start). The lights blurted to life and the electronic indie funk was on. On tour promoting its latest release Miracle Mile, the band sent the place in constant motion with a sound dominated by killer disco bass lines and inventive guitar flourishes.
I won’t pretend to know the names of songs, all I do know is there wasn’t a moment I was not glued to the stage, or not moving to the beat. During one song, Hodges sat center stage manning the rhythm guitar while guitarist Patrick Morris and bassist Shawn Glassford grooved playfully in the background. With Keil Corcoran manning the drum beat, the scene was a unified band having fun knowing it created a sterling hook. Outstanding.
I do not know the names of these songs now, but I will. Against my better judgment I left before it was over, I’m sure I missed an amazing moment.
But I had another show to attend. My choice was not a poor one.
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If you’ve spent any time reading abandoned couches, it’s clear I triumph Easter Island. It’s a band I’ve been with since the start, and one I’ve seen grow more and more into the spotlight. But there’s always bumps in the path of any band, and Easter Island found one recently when Ferguson announced he was leaving.
Tigger Ferguson is a sterling, powerful drummer, and part of Easter Island’s allure is it marries its shimmering shoegaze with a thunder of percussion. Who can come in and possibly sit on Ferguson’s throne?
John Swint, who recently saw his decade-long stint with Modern Skirts come to an end, was the answer. And while he’s a different drummer than Ferguson, he was game for the challenge. After this night, Easter Island should be happy with its choice.
Playing to promote the vinyl release of its new 7-inch (which wasn’t available — you never know in this business), the band roared through the set with a youthful, primed purpose. Part of Easter Island’s live show is how sharp the band sounds, and new songs Dinosaur and Drift were as clear live as they are on tape (or digital, whatever the term is).
The question is what would happen on those percussion-driven songs — such as “Hash,” “Weekend” and “You Don’t Have a Choice”? Would it be different?
Well, yeah it was. Ferguson makes his blasting of the drums look easy — you can’t believe the sound coming off the stage stems from a man who makes it look effortless. Swint’s take on the parts looked like strenuous work, he seemed to be in a constant flurry of motion. But his approach was as natural and as fluid to him as Ferguson’s style is for him — there are two ways to play the same thing with similar results. His crowning moment came near the end of Weekend, where Swint rolled through the song’s ending percussion bomb with precision and authority. Singer Asher Payne gave a knowing nod to Swint as the song came to an end.
Make that two.
After playing the instrumental “Laika,” the set was over. I walked outside just past 1 a.m. to a bustling downtown street.
Just another night in Athens, where brilliance comes from stages all over.
