Grizzly Bear wows in spite of itself
Precious? Sure. Derivative at times? Yes. Too many sampled background tracks and loops and overly processed vocals? Definitely. Songs that don’t really go anywhere? Yep.
So why in the world was the art-folk quartet’s sold out University Musical Society-sponsored show on Saturday at the Michigan Theater so compelling?
Good question.
The fact is that, despite its pretensions, Grizzly Bear is capable of legitimate grandiosity that can make a hipster swoon from 500 yards.
Look around. There are a million indie bands with delusions of achieving Radiohead-like live performances, or of channeling a Peter Gabriel-era Genesis vibe though pomp, circumstance and esoteric lyrics. Live, most of them fall flat.
But you have to hand it to Grizzly Bear. These guys wear their influences on their sleeve — I counted no fewer than a dozen bands* that Grizzly Bear appeared to be directly aping during its 90-minute show, But, somehow, they pulled it off.
Part of that was through sheer force of will, as if the members were challenging anyone to call them out on their derivations.
But on Saturday, it was more than that. Here’s why it worked:
- Never mind that there were times when there was as many or more pre-recorded, sampled tracks in the mix as their were live instruments. Guitarists/singers Daniel Rosen and both sported great tone with tube-amp warmth and intriguing interplay, blending nicely with the electronic cacophony.
- Drummer Christopher Bear is a monster. Always in the pocket, yet ready with the extra gear when the rest of the band was ready to take arrangements to the next level. Hint: they do this a lot.
- Secret weapon and multiple threat Chris Taylor on bass, woodwinds, what appeared to be a transistor radio and all manner of pedals to render each of these instruments completely unidentifiable, yet infinitely intriguing.
- A killer light show, something never to be underestimated. In Grizzly Bear’s case, the stately lighting served the songs, rather than creating a spectacle of its own.
One gets the feeling that there isn’t really a lot of substance to Grizzly Bear’s tunes. Stripped of their artifice, they don’t add up to much. But taken as a whole on Saturday, the band delivered a set that was everything its adoring audience seemed to want — and even won over one particular cynic, who dug the show in spite of himself.
* For the record, a partial list includes: Roxy Music, Mercury Rev, Spandau Ballet, Neil Young, Neutral Milk Hotel, Talking Heads and Phoebe Snow(!) … and that doesn’t count the obvious touchstones, like Radiohead and Genesis.)
Will Stewart is a free-lance writer for AnnArbor.com.