Bon Iver + Megafaun added up: that Gayngs show Tuesday night at the Black Cat was the best prom you never went to. Seriously, where was everyone...Opener Glasser came on super late and sounded like... someone. JJ? The lead singer from XX? Enya? The kind of band you'd care to see on a random Friday or Saturday night, stiff (or regular Black Cat) drink in hand, no threat of an alarm clock the following morning. Otherwise, take it or leave it.
A Hall and Oates mix filled the bridge between sets. Some know Hall & Oates unironically, but for the rest of you, we coined a new term of appreciation: Hipster Hindsight. Apply it to soul and R&B in general, actually, to explain the recent phenomena of hipsters missing the heyday. Apparently, however, BYT must've been having a plaid party elsewhere. Because the club was half empty. Or half full, if you're like us and like a little breathing room...
Then there came Gayngs: two furry hats, one shark costume, one shirtless, one devil mask, one white tux, lots of shades, and Justin Vernon. And two rotating spots on stage for bandmates taking a break to play the beer bottle.
Quantity equaled quality. These neo-blue-eyed souls sang through a setlist encompassing their entire album, and a Sade cover. The vocoder was a little loud. The crowd a little thin. The music, however, smooth as silk. I knew Bon Iver and Megafaun had surprisingly strong voices. But the rest of these guys held their own, singing in a way that felt retro, it was just so genuine. A gimmick with some real good behind it.
"1980's Soft Rock" doesn't really encompass the richness of what they do. It's Hall & Oates meets Prince, vocoded. It's Stevie Wonder meets Steve Winwood, vocoded. Isn't all good indie rock something else, vocoded? Seriously, though, the show was a blast. Pasty dudes from a cold city bring a warmth to the stage you didn't think they could, much less understand. Peep the scorecard for more info.
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