By Jamie Loftus
Reader beware, you’re in for a Grinch-y Broken Bells fan.
Seeing Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and James Mercer in the same room, not to mention in the admirable partnership they’ve established with Broken Bells, is nothing short of humbling, even in the wake of a lukewarm release After the Disco. After seeing The Shins in concert in 2012, I was more than thrilled to see the two together, but I couldn’t help but leave wishing I’d seen The Shins one night and Gnarls Barkley the next. Turns out, sounding identical to the recording isn’t exactly as cathartic as one might expect.
Opener Au Revoir Simone is a relatively well-known and liked dreampop outfit continuing to promote their 2013 release Move in Spectrums, and have always been my go-to when a party starts to lose its energy. In person, the ladies failed to deliver. The trio arrived with matching straight bangs and keyboards, the group’s trademark, and launched into track “The Lead is Galloping.” Like Broken Bells, they sound great on their albums, but the performance felt flat and insecure, with the exception of standout single “Crazy.” When bandmates weren’t playing keyboard or singing (which happened every few songs), they’d dance awkwardly in front of their keyboard in a fashion I challenge any sorority girl to outdo. Ten years deep in the business, one can’t help but think Au Revoir Simone would know better– every electronic or pop act in the universe ensures that where there’s a lack of technical impressiveness, glitz and motion is makes up for the rest.
Cue the main act. Mercer. Burton and their two bandmates appeared in crisp black after showing off their admittedly impressive video backdrop, an intergalactic video display that seemed to work in time with the music. Tame Impala has carted a similar visual effect with them on tour for over a year now, and the effect is impressive– when Mercer’s silhouette is alternately engulfed in a constellation or a field of flowers, it’s damn cool. The excitement, save the few saving grace singles Broken Bells has released in their now four-year history, ended there.
The band swapped instruments at will and with ease, harmonized as beautifully as the recordings suggest, and songs like their first hit “The Ghost Inside”, and “Meyrin Fields” sparkled amongst flatter performances from their other material. “Meyrin Fields” was the only song that appeared from their sophomore release of the same name– the bulk of the performance leaned on new material played between guaranteed crowd-pleasers from their debut album. Though some poo-pooed the Bee Gees homage that was After the Disco, I’m a shameless fan and couldn’t help but bob along to the title track and “Holding on for Life”, the album’s leading single while clutching a too-light beer and congratulating myself on not having straight bangs. The two leading men were noticeably quiet during the performance, and mainly stuck to the nineteen-song set they’ve been taking across the country.
To close the show, Mercer invited Au Revoir Simone back to the stage to perform on three songs, including “Leave It Alone” “The High Road”, my favorite BB tune and one that holds up in performance. Au Revoir Simone added backing vocals and distractingly awkward dance moves as the show closed. The band had already performed their handful of popular songs, and one couldn’t help but wonder if they had decided to forgo the encore.
It turned out they hadn’t– Mercer and Mouse returned to the stage to perform “Citizen”, “Trap Doors” and “October”, solid and semi-recognizable songs but not the big finish the audience hoped for. It didn’t make sense– the brains behind the project have proved themselves capable of solid live performances, but the homogenous, identical album regurgitation begs the question whether it’s a worthwhile investment of money and time to see it in the flesh.
Don’t get me wrong, this is no reflection on either of these brilliant gentlemens’ talent or accomplishments, but when an act is phoning it in for the night, it shows. As fans are wont to do, I’ll grumble about it but still buy my six dollar can of Coors at the next one and hope they down some Red Bull before the show goes up.