The Dodos w/Au @ The Horseshoe

I am honestly in awe of the amount of truly inspirational shows I've been to this year. Thankfully, I can now add The Dodos to this list. In preparation for the show, I've been listening to Visiter and Beware Of The Maniacs quite extensively over the past week. I've been enjoying those releases so immensely that even though my friend had to back out on attending, and I was still sporting a bit of a Nuit Blanche non-alcoholic hangover of sorts, I still had to make room in my schedule to attend. The show was nothing short of fantastic.

The Dodos are that perfect blend of organic minimalism and high powered freneticism that makes the band very difficult to pigeonhole. The comparisons to Animal Collective are inevitable and not entirely unfounded, but whereas the Collective are a bit like a travelling circus, The Dodos are much more like you and I. Vocalist Meric Long has a bit of that boy next door charm, which would seem to stand in contrast with his slightly off kilter lyricism, but actually the two fit together in a very 'opposites attract' sort of way. The idea that a solid drummer can essentially make or break a band is proven in leaps and bounds by the magician-like percussion skills of Logan Kroeber, who acts as that essential ingredient that elevates the band out of a Nick Drake territory (which would be fine) and into a territory all its own. Their semi-popular song Fools was showcased right near the beginning of the set and it worked well as a vehicle for getting the crowd enthused nice and early. My favourite song is Jodi, which is an adventurous piece that seamlessly wanders from folk and bluegrass to psychedelic breakdown as if the genres were always meant to be together. The fact that it shares its name with my wife is just a cool aside for me. (Incidentally, they also have a song called Bob. Coincidence? I think not!) By the end of the show, Meric had his head buried in a trash can in order to create a hollow vocal echo effect, and the spasmodic percussion heavy encore was exactly what was needed to ensure that the show ended on a triumphant head shaking high.

Photos: The Dodos @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: The Dodos
Video: Fools on youtube (Possibly my favourite video of the year)

Opening for The Dodos was Portland's Au (pronounced ay-you.) I knew virtually nothing about this band going in, and when the keyboards and high pitched vocals started up, my 'pretension' alerts started going off. However, the band put all of those worries to rest quite quickly, as the duo continued to progressively shock my system, one lengthy song at a time. Before preparing this review I did some research and found out that this duo can boast as many as 25 members at any given time. From the sounds that I heard on Monday night however, that must mean that they evoke the sounds of a symphony orchestra when the full band is in attendance. That was what I found most impressive; the fact that two people can provide such a full and lush sound. Much like The Dodos that followed, the drummer was the star of this show, performing some of the most amazing rolls and licks that I've seen since I was a teenager at a Rush concert in the 80's. It was almost as if the drummer was pulling out percussive tricks that even his bandmate was unprepared for. That element of spontanaity coupled with the extensive and calculated arrangements make Au a band that surely warrants further investigation on my part. Once a prog lover, always a prog lover I guess.

Photos: Au @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Au