There's something to be appreciate by a band that doesn't officially break up, but rather just comes to a natural finish. After Grizzly Bear released their underrated record Painted Ruins, the band completed their touring commitments and went into a period of hibernation. There was no dramatic announcement, no overly-hyped farewell shows, no petty interviews about why they just couldn't do it any more. The band pretty much retreated to their lives, devoting time to family, other lines of work, and other musical projects. From what it seems, the band stayed connected. There was no ill will, no bad feelings, no trash talk. They were just adults who grew up and had other parts of their lives that felt important and worth taking the time to explore. In the years since Grizzly Bear has been away, the landscape of indie rock has changed significantly, but this spring, the timing felt right and the band crawled out of their cave fresh, awakened, and ready to claw back at the sound that made them such a special band in the first place. Finally, the band felt they could return and, boy, they sure are back! The rifling guitar to open "Southern Point" had the sold out crowd at Brooklyn Steel ready to strike from the beginning and as the song opened up, the roar of the audience lit up the faces of the men on stage, making it clear that this was as special for them as it was for us. They wasted no time getting to the deep cuts, reaching back to the days of Horn of Plenty for a chilling "Alligator" that had their remarkable voices back in full form like no time at all had passed. It was instantly a rush and full feeling of success, these intricate and complex songs back without missing a beat, the dazzling appear not a bit worn or faded. Looking back at the band's imperial phase, (from the release of Yellow House through Shields) they were unrivaled in terms of peers making music quite like them. Their animal brethren in Fleet Foxes kept things more in line with traditional folk music and Animal Collective were getting progressively more out there, making the switch to full on electronic music and never really looking back. Grizzly Bear made music that was more ornate with baroque orchestrations that and rich chamber pop melodies that had some overlap with the Beach Boys-styled harmonies that were also popular with other groups, but there was still something about them which made things stand out. Watching them now, it's still striking just how magnificent and unique they are and just how much their playing has remained powerful and expressive. Daniel Rossen's guitar playing was majestic, his thrashing mixed with nimble finger picking only was a dominant fixture from the get go, it was Chris Bear's actions from behind the kit which were truly mesmerizing. His fills would come up from behind the beat, following the rest of the group before coming through with something thunderous and maximal. His intensity matched with Rossen's powerful riffs showed the band's mightier side, sitting in perfect harmony with the more bucolic vocals and hypnotizing vibes from Ed Droste and the swirls of wonder coming from one Chris Taylor. The band's claws sharpened for their electric take on Yellow House's "Little Brother," a song that always hits with those gnashing chords that slice though with a piercing force. The layered complexity of a Grizzly Bear song isn't always apparent and can take time to reveal itself and "Fine For Now" is one of the prime examples of just how one of their songs can reach such an astonishing climax. Hunched over and slashing aways at their strings, this was the band at their most primal, their teeth showing, and ready to pounce. Of course when Rossen sat down the keys and began to pump out that iconic riff to "Two Weeks," the place nearly lost its collective mind. Another anthem of a time, place, and scene that surely has to be one of the most significant songs of the past twenty-five years and hearing it again now presented an instant surge of nostalgia back to the days when Rye, Brooklyn Star, and Diner ruled the neighborhood. A transcendent song that was given its royal treatment that it so rightfully deserves and was honored by the legions of fans who bounced along in perfect unison and with the hope and dreams like it was the start of the first Obama administration all over again. Pulling out all of the stops, the band gave the live debut to Shields b-side "Will Calls" and kicked off the encore with an extremely rare performance of "Deep Sea Diver" for the first time in over twenty years. I remember seeing Grizzly Bear at Town Hall the week Vecketamest was released and thinking that this was a band of significance, one who could define a time and a generation of listeners. Walking from my apartment in Williamsburg, a neighborhood I've called home (along with Bushwick) for over fifteen years, to the show also conjured up some feelings and memories of how this band once echoed these venues on a regular basis and call this place home. To have them back felt like reconnecting with old friends who've all gotten wiser and can pick up just where they left off. It's great to have them come home again.
Set list:
01 "Southern Point"
02 "Alligator" (first performance since 2008)
03 "Sleeping Ute"
04 "Mourning Sound"
05 "Yet Again"
06 "Cut-Out"
07 "Little Brother" (first performance since 2014)
08 "Ready, Able"
09 "Fine for Now"
10 "Foreground"
11 "While You Wait for the Others"
12 "Will Calls" (live debut)
13 "Two Weeks"
14 "On a Neck, On a Spit"
15 "Three Rings"
16 "Sun in Your Eyes
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17 "Deep Sea Diver" (first documented performance; likely first performance since 2005)
18 "Sky Took Hold"
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