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Review Fri Sep 11 2009
Review: Deer Tick, Jonny Corndawg, the Gunshy @ Bottom Lounge, 9/10
I've been to a few shows in my time. I've seen one or two (hundred) drunk performers. For some it's their schtick. For others it's just a result of the way a day's gone. But I don't recall ever seeing someone begin a set quite like Deer Tick at the Bottom Lounge on Thursday. Singer John McCauley walked on stage, ahead of the rest of the band, and talked about beginning with "The Star-Spangled Banner." I have to admit I was looking forward to hearing his gruff vocals through a song so notoriously difficult to sing. But instead he sang "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" as Sammy Davis, Tony Bennett and a few others. Midway through he even took some vocalist requests. Once the band actually walked out and started to play music, things improved. McCauley was absolutely plastered, but everyone else seemed to be more or less on the wagon.
While at times Deer Tick's music may evoke reminders of Fleet Foxes' ethereal Americana, the entrance of McCauley's raspy voice quickly shuts down those comparisons. It's far more Hardy Morris (Dead Confederate) than Robin Pecknold. And that may work like a charm on their two albums, but the 23-year old hasn't quite figured out how to make his alcohol work in his favor during the non-rockers live. Of those, only an amped up "Ashamed" was anything more than mediocre. But it was fantastic, due in large part to the audience singalong of its catchy chorus. As they moved onto the jams late in the set, the band found their groove and came alive for "These Old Shoes" and their highly accessible "Easy."
Opener Jonny Corndawg endeared himself to the crowd early on with his soft-spoken voice, simple country-tinged songs and humorous lyrics. He introduced two tunes as marriage songs - "Shut Up" and "Trashday." (Both titles are pretty representative of their content.) And even though he sometimes came off as a gimmick (laughing at the absurdity of your own lyrics has a tendency to give off that idea), it was evident that the man has a knack for compact songs about domestic issues. Chicago's the Gunshy, like Deer Tick, featured a rather gruff vocalist who at first sounded like Tom Waits, but actually reminded me more of Bobcat Goldthwait by the end of their set. Unfortunately, some of the instruments featured prominently in their recordings (horns, strings) were not present on Thursday, but their riffs were heavy to make up for those absences.
