Review: Avey Tare + Deakin + Geologist (Animal Collective) at Eulogy
Any opportunity to see Animal Collective is cause for celebration, but one typically limited to relatively large venues and/or festival settings.
Deconstruct the acclaimed experimental four-piece and — sans Noah “Panda Bear” Lennox, who was most likely chilling at home in Portugal on Nov. 11 — carve out one solo set apiece in the modestly sized club confines of Eulogy, and that occasion takes on an even more special air, as well as a historical one.
According to Asheville-based David “Avey Tare” Portner, the night of solo performances by him, Josh “Deakin” Dibb, and Brian “Geologist” Weitz was the first of its kind. And based on the rapturous response from the capacity crowd and the joy that the experience seemed to bring the performers, it hopefully won’t be the last.
Backed by hypnotic, colorful projections and structured in order of increasing accessibility, the sets cumulatively rewarded attendees who persevered for the full three-plus hours.
Geologist
In other words, Geologist kicked off the evening, his signature headlamp ablaze as his right arm whipped the crank of his hurdy-gurdy in a furious but measured frenzy, and his left hand triggered a variety of adventurous samples on his well-curated deck. Delivering trippy, ambient electronic goodness primarily suited for a listening room — most memorably in the form of a marimba loop mixed with Indian string-instrument droning — Geologist’s creations consistently verged on danceable but only occasionally tipped into crowd-moving territory with help from thumping bass.
The arrival of Deakin for Set Two also heralded the welcome (necessary?) addition of vocals. While his precise words remained largely a mystery, shrouded in various sonic effects, their pairings with guitar, arpeggio-centric piano, and programmed drums in digestible installments with space for applause between what could legitimately be called “songs” was akin to coming across an island after the vast ocean of Geologist’s set. And yet when the opener was brought out late in the middle block for his hurdy-gurdy schtick, the duo unsurprisingly sounded great together and teased more ambitious collaborations as the evening progressed.
Deakin
Front and center with guitar and vocals — and only a little vocal reverb — Avey Tare embraced his role as hometown headliner from the opening chords of Animal Collective’s “April and the Phantom.” Whether looping shouted vocals or visibly getting into grooves while adding appealing electric guitar screeches, he provided the most complete one-man performance of the night. But it helped that, of the three, his style was the best suited for the room, clearly encouraging dancing and/or lyrical engagement, depending on the selection.
Leaning more into the Animal Collective catalog as the show wound down, Avey Tare elicited the occasion’s biggest inter-song cheer with the 8-bit charms of “Chocolate Girl” and its numerous howls and shrieks. And following his own Geologist team-up for “Man of Oil,” the local pulled Deakin onstage for a lovely three-track finale with the complete trio.
Avey Tare
Working from the catchy, upbeat “Soul Capturer" to the slow, piano-driven “Stride Rite” — both off the band’s newest album, Isn’t It Now? — and clear fan-favorite favorite, “Flesh Canoe,” the chemistry between the three longtime friends and collaborators was so palpable and magical that one half expected a Panda Bear cameo — or at least a hologram of the multi-instrumentalist — to take the already fulfilling experience to another level.
But 75% of Animal Collective, especially after all the individual goodness that preceded it, is no small feat. And the next time Portner wants to invite any of his pals to town, all we need know is “when” and “where.”
(Photos by Justin Bowman)
