Review: Destroyer at The Grey Eagle
When Destroyer was scheduled to play in Asheville in 2022 in support of Labyrinthitis, the show was unfortunately canceled due to tour van troubles. Performing at The Grey Eagle exactly a year and a day later on May 5, Dan Bejar made up for the postponement by delivering a mesmerizing stripped-down set of Destroyer tunes.
Although billed as a solo show, Bejar was accompanied by an electric guitarist, whose minimal playing added complementary flourishes to the Canadian singer/songwriter’s acoustic strums and distinctive vocals. Playing in front of an unusually quiet and respectful crowd, he wasted little time on banter and simply stuck to the music. Fully captivated and immersed within Bejar’s steady stream of expressionistic phrases, the audience expressed its appreciation within its silence. There were no hoots, no indecipherable song requests, and no talking. Just reverence.
With Bejar drawing from across his extensive catalog, especially his early 2000s releases, his set for the night was surely a treat for any longtime fan. As much as I adore his recent synth-laden records that would have been the focus of last year’s concert, it was a pleasure to hear so many cuts from Destroyer’s Rubies, Your Blues, and Streethawk: A Seduction.
Aside from the lack of seating, the vibe of the evening was much akin to a good coffee house show. The turnout was a bit underwhelming for a Friday night in Asheville, especially for such an acclaimed artist, but I selfishly enjoyed the extra breathing room. It’s so much easier to get lost in the music when not dealing with the annoyance of overcrowding and chatter, and Destroyer’s tunes are most effective when a line like “I look around the room, I see a room of pit ponies/Drowning forever in a sea of love” from “Cue Synthesizer” has the opportunity to really sink its teeth in and take hold of its listener.
Prior to Destroyer, San Francisco-based indie rock quintet The Reds, Pinks and Purples set the mood with some delightfully catchy jangle pop. On tour in support of the recently released LP, The Town That Cursed Your Name, Glenn Donaldson’s long-running project sounded a bit like a cross between The Smiths and Field Mice. And that’s an easy way to my heart.
Overall, it was refreshing to simply bask in the intricacies of both performances, without any excess bombast or distractions.
Setlist
Dark Leaves Form a Thread
A Dangerous Woman Up to a Point
Destroyer's the Temple
Times Square
Trembling Peacock
Tintoretto, It's for You
The Music Lovers
Downtown
Cue Synthesizer
Your Blood
Painter in Your Pocket
Watercolours Into the Ocean
English Music
A Light Travels Down the Catwalk
Foam Hands
What Road
Don't Become the Thing You Hate
Encore:
Virgin With a Memory
Chinatown
(Photos by Jonny Leather)
The Reds, Pinks and Purples
