Tall Firs/King Kahn and the Shrines/Deerhunter/Black Lips McCarren Pool August 3, 2008 Written by Matt Boyd Photographed by Amy Davidson Opposite Photo: Black Lips

In its clemency and breezy unobtrusiveness, the weather welcomed and complemented the first act on August third’s JellyNYC McCarren Park Pool bill, the Tall Firs. These guys played stoic rock with a sneaking country twang, dour with guitars that rang out as though plucked by the Dire Straits if they were dudes in grad school. These fellows are an easy band, perhaps not suited for the hi-definition requirements of a huge, intimacy devouring space, but good. When the set was done, it was deliberate and complete.

King Kahn and the Shrines

King Kahn and the Shrines

King Kahn and the Shrines

Germany based voodoo transplants King Kahn and the Shrines visited the crowd with a set and a set again of thundering funk sung in a ruined jazz man’s voice. The energy King Kahn was conjuring whistled through the crowd, in the opposite direction of the garbage flying toward the stage at the madman’s behest during crowd participation number “Pick up the Trash.”

The Korganist swung his heavy old keyboard over his head, a wizened shriner careered around the stage in roller blades describing a path the definition of uncertainty, and the King kept rolling out the hits. I grew thirsty and returned to the dispensary for more booze even before the set could finish, so forever long did play the time reversing dynamo that was Kahn and his Shrines.

At right around this time, observing by happy accident the women aslip the waterslide falling willy-nilly from their shirts, and reflecting on the fact that I had seen slip onto the stage already two really great bands I’d never heard before within the first two slots out of a total of four, I began to get the feeling that something really special was happening at the pool that day.

I was absolutely right.

Deerhunter

Threshold dose of Deerhunter is approximately ½ of a song. After that point your whole world changes. The tempo switches at unexpected intervals and the dead exact lock tractor-beaming the bassist to the drummer surprised. The tones Bradford Cox shredded without affect from his axe amid the collaged juxtaposition of drone and exactitude contributed by the other members of his band were a weirding-in on something that had not heretofore existed on this plane. A true weirdling Marvel, Deerhunter.

Black Lips

Black Lips

Headliners Black Lips pleased, were fantastic at their rockabilly garage revivalism. However, putting this act, no matter how skilled in that genre, in the spot behind one of the most original groups I’ve seen perform, made their high-energy set seem to pale in its requisite sloppiness when compared to Deerhunter’s freakish and exacting powers of newness.

Throughout this montage of consummate showmanship, King Kahn reappeared on the stage again and again, threading himself with his exhibitionism and exuberance through all the sets following his, as though he was the stitching that kept the rock unglued and the crowd unhinged.

For more information about the Tall Firs, log onto: tallfirs.org

For more information about King Kahn and the Shrings, log onto: myspace.com/kingkhantheshrines

For more information about Deerhunter, log onto:
http://www.myspace.com/deerhunter

For more information about the Black Lips, log onto: myspace.com/theblacklips