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DARWIN DEEZ Opening act’s odd mix of church music, meditation and high-octane guitar ballads.
April 2, 2013 Brighton Music Hall - Allston, MA
by Vanessa Bennett photo by Phil Sharp
34 JUNE 2013 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
The last time Darwin Deez played the Brighton Music Hall, a D documentary was made. This time, Deez wrapped up their North American tour with a toast to the crowd and a smattering of songs from their latest album. In typical Deez fashion, the band blended funky, choreographed dance moves with synthesized keyboard notes and heavy bass lines. Opening for the quartet were Spirit Kid, a Boston-bred indie band and Caged Animals, hailing from the Garden State. Spirit Kid started things off with harmonious indie pop ballads but Caged Animals really hooked the crowd with an odd mix of church music, meditation and highoctane guitar ballads. Their very animated performance that included echoing bass notes and rapid-fire drum beats was a great prep for what Darwin Deez had in store. The band emerged and without hesitation jumped into tracks off their new album Songs for
Imaginative People. “You Can’t Be My Girl” and “Chelsea Hotel” were sandwiched between old favorites including “Radar Detector” and “Bad Day.” The combination of new and old showed an evolution in the band’s sound, one that is now more reliant on rock musings and sharper guitar progressions. There was a heavier emphasis on length of notes and combination of chords. While their new tracks remain in the vein of indie pop, there is less pop and more rock and roll, a change fans seemed happy to embrace. As always, the band delivered a show that was not only entertaining but also a display of the strength of their knowledge and grasp of various instruments and musical genres. The show ended with a strong encore, a few words of love for the city of Boston and one final dance session set to some R&B classics.
www.darwindeez.com