By: Neil Olstad
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| Andrew Bird - Photo by Stacy Sandstrom (click for set) |
“It’s a very hometown CD release show feel tonight,” remarked Andrew Bird a few songs into his 90-minute set. The Chicago native made a sold out stop at First Avenue Friday night, and it was somewhat of a homecoming for Bird and company. That could very well be because his band mates, Martin Dosh and Jeremy Ylvisaker, are well known local musicians. Bird’s latest record, Armchair Apocrypha, was recorded almost entirely in Minnesota. In an interview with the Onion AV Club a few months back, Andrew had this to say about Minneapolis: "Every time I'm there, I feel very stimulated… From the people I meet to the bands I catch to the things I see." Bird definitely brought his A-game for this “hometown” crowd.
Dosh took the stage at about 8:15 to an almost capacity room. The relatively young, college-aged crowd seemed to be unprepared for Martin Dosh, as there was an unusual amount of crowd chatter during the first half of his 45-minute set. This all changed of course as Martin displayed his versatility, playing each instrument, one a time, using live looping techniques, and building the songs in layers. Encased in his cocoon of gear, which included a drum kit, beat-up vibes, a couple keyboards, a mixer and his trademark open Rhodes, Dosh went to work.
Along for the ride on stage was local saxophonist/Meatloaf look-alike Mike Lewis, who provided his convulsing sax skills and complimented Dosh’s songs quite nicely. Martin’s stature is rail-thin and unassuming, but he played like a grizzled veteran, spinning on his drum throne, fingering a few notes on a keyboard, crunching a chord or two on his Rhodes, and then turning to his kit to jam out an eight-bar groove to fill out the song. Speaking of drumming, Dosh made up for his lack of technical skill by playing musically, using amazing creativity and impeccable timing. By the end of his set, which closed with “Um, Circles and Squares” off his latest record, The Lost Take, Dosh had appreciative heads bobbing throughout the venue.
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| Dosh - Photo by Stacy Sandstrom |
After a quick 15-minute set break, the giant screen at First Avenue slowly rose to an enchanting cascade of sweeping violin, clattering cymbals and ambient guitar effects. Andrew Bird had taken the stage, much to the crowd’s delight. For 90 minutes he elegantly paced through 16 songs, almost entirely coming from his last two albums, this year’s Armchair Apocrypha and 2005’s The Mysterious Production of Eggs.
But enough already, lets get right to it: the whistling. The first time you hear Andrew Bird whistle you might look around, wondering where that divine sound is coming from. One need look no further than right in front of themselves, that sound is coming from Mr. Bird’s pursed lips. Goosebumps refuse to leave and your soul soars as Andrew whistles, and there was no shortage of it Friday night. The same live looping techniques put into effect by Dosh are also used by Andrew Bird. The three men onstage rarely had any time to relax as they had their hands full of switching instruments and tapping foot switches to set loops and samples.
Martin Dosh assumed basically the same duties as he did in his solo set, although he spent most of his time behind the drums, stuttering and cracking away. Martin often found his left hand playing the Rhodes while his right was keeping time on the hi-hats and snare drum. Jeremy Ylvisaker held down the low end of things, but occasionally grabbed a guitar to add effects to close out some songs. Bird came across like a mad scientist, hustling around the stage, changing instruments, and flailing his arms in the air, almost as if he is trying to convince the crowd that his latest invention is the real deal. He was twitchy and unpredictable, shaking his head like a dog coming in from the rain as he crooned to Main Room. The capacity crowd hung on his every word.
The highlight of the evening came early in the set as Dosh and Ylvisaker exited the stage, leaving Andrew alone to play “Why?” off his 2002 release, Fingerlings. Full of animation, Bird’s charming personality, and immense musical talent were on display. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand as he squirmed around on stage with his contorting facial expressions. It was a sip of controlled chaos.
Andrew Bird is amazing live performer for all the right reasons. He breathes new life into all his songs by slightly altering them in a way that translates to a live setting brilliantly. The level of musicianship on stage Friday night was astounding, and when great musicians like that improv, amazing moments are created. When the song dies down, Andrew Bird rolls his eyes back into his skull, clutches his violin close to his jaw, and plucks the exact same notes that he is whistling on the fly, all you can do is shake your head and smile.
SET:
intro
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: Andrew Bird, Dosh
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