Concert: Dan Deacon 11-15-07

First off, let me just say that the LoFi Social Club in Baltimore is a great venue! I really enjoyed the feeling of seeing a concert in what can only be described as an art gallery/bar, and it really worked.

The first band that went on was called We Are the Seahorses. These crazy bastards put on one of the most unique shows I have ever seen. Throughout their set, they danced around in their underwear, threw costumes into the crowd, bumped into the audience, and threw around (hopefully) fake blood. I have never seen anything quite like this, but I am now a die-hard fan. Long live We Are the Seahorses!

Next up was Swen Leather, which was a weird trio of guys making random noises on their synth machines. The song weren't really songs, but more of weird glitches and noises, a bit like Wolf Eyes. Everytime a song started to sound like it had a danceable beat, it would switch off into a completly different sound. This was interesting at first, but got a little old for me when it kept going. Still, it was interesting.

Parts and Labor were next, and I really enjoyed this show. I think I saw them play at a warehouse show before, but I don't think I was sober enough to pay attention. This time I was right up front and enjoyed myself. The drummer in particular was quite good, with his drumming for each song sounding like a solo. Good stuff.

Finally, Dan Deacon came on, along with Video Hippos and Height, to engage in a music battle that was quite cool. Each artist took turns playing one song, Video Hippos going first, then Height, followed by Dan Deacon. Video Hippos has a cool set-up, with crazy images and videos being projected on a screen behind them while they played. Height was good, but his rap style didn't quite fit with Video Hippos or Dan Deacon. And Dan Deacon, of course, was amazing, playing songs off his new Spiderman of the Rings as well as older stuff that was just as good.

This show blew my mind and for $5, you really cannot go wrong. Great stuff.