words&images//mike boone

Last night, Baltimore’s Ottobar was host to Deacon’s first set without the rest of the Animal Collective.  There was a lot of tension in the air, a lot of anticipation, and a lot of big Charm City names in attendance–from DJ Dog Dick to Dan Deacon.  No one was quite sure what to expect from Deacon, who has proven himself to be quite prolific in the past, but released next-to-nothing in the past year.  Recently he has gained a lot of publicity, both negative and positive, in his efforts to fund a trip to Mali to play 2010′s Festival in the Desert, an opportunity he wants to use to create a book and a CD that will raise awareness about the beauty of Mali and the need for an end to slavery.

The festivities of the evening really got going last night when the legendary Daniel Higgs of Lungfish fame took to the stage with nothing more than a droning shurti box, a strip of bells attached to his right foot, and an antiquated wooden chair.  Seeing his performance was nothing short of a religious experience; everything from the simple beat he fashioned by tapping his feet, to the mysterious Bible-esque book he read his mystic lyrics from, to the complete and utter respect he commanded from the entire venue.  This remained entranced and silent unless prompted by Higgs himself to let him “hear the sounds of our voices.”  The second of his two songs, which was about the Holy Bible, led the listener through a range of emotions, profound and diverse as his voice itself. By the end of his final song, it was incredibly evident why he is such a deeply revered talent, and one of few performers that could be considered truly prophetic.

Next to the stage was the man most had come to see, Deacon.  His setup was rather complex for a solo act, including a guitar and a mic being run through a myriad of pedals in addition to a table full of equipment that was hard to see but obviously incorporated a sampler and some more effects.  Once he started playing though, it was evident that none of this gear was in excess. T he soundscape he was able to create was, for the most part, engaging and beautiful.  As expected, all of the songs were built out of many different layers of sound all working together.  The resulting aural experience was beachy and warm, very mellow and relaxing.

All of the songs ran together seamlessly, which at times made it difficult to delineate where one track began and the other ended–an Animal Collective trademark that is difficult to perfect and when executed well (as was the case with Deacon’s set), holds the listener’s attention and allows one to get lost in all the different noises. That being said, the majority of the performance followed a similar pattern: a base carved out from a plethora of samples and loops, dreamy and echoing vocals, guitar that felt a lot like Feels, and an upbeat that more often than not proved to be intermittent. All these parts melted together to create music that was natural and wet.

However, there were two parts of his performance that really set themselves apart. The first was an ambiguous sample that resembled water rushing in and out over people screaming.  This simultaneously sounded like rioters being pummeled by a fire hose and children playing in the wake on the beach.  The second was the second-to-last track.  It felt like the beach, sand between toes tapping to the playful beat, sitting in a cheap plastic chair and baking in the sun behind a pair of shades. Of all the wonderful things I heard that night, that was the song I look forward most to hearing again.

Following Deacon’s solid set, which will undoubtedly be a topic of debate for months, the majority of the crowd evacuated before Jason Urick grabbed the stage.  Those who left missed out on a mind-bending set of droning noise and bass that shook one’s bowels, which continually morphed into something new and equally dirty. There was one point in the set that would’ve fit perfectly in some grimy hole-in-the-wall club with greasers grinding on each other. The sounds he was able to create and balance were intense and impressive, but I always get a sour taste about laptop performances because they feel that much less personal, almost to the point where the stage is unnecessary.

All in all, Baltimore certainly started the decade on the right foot, with powerful performances all around, and Deacon proving he is definitely someone worth watching in the coming months, as he makes his way through Africa. 2010 is going to be a long year in the best of ways.