Show Preview: (The Incomparable) Dan Deacon at Emo's

Anyone who's been to a Dan Deacon show knows that it ain't just any old party. It's a veritable showcase for lunacy in which the undeniably eclectic Deacon buries himself in the crowd and inspires snaking arm tunnels and circular dance routines through the audience, all the while increasing musical tension to a fever pitch. The Baltimore music maven (he has a graduate degree in electro-acoustic and computer music composition) is making tunes unlike anyone else, and despite what sometimes makes for a lack of traditional instrumentation, he's a whirlwind force of repetition and cartoonish weirdness that is impossible not to watch. Not only that, but Deacon's touring now in support of Bromst, a fascinating and widely-acclaimed LP which continues the nutty themes first brought to national attention on his breakthrough album, Spiderman of the Rings, yet this time with significantly more refinement, more musicality, and an attention to cohesion that would surprise anyone who would expect an album as beyond sense as his live show.

Opening up the evening are a pair of Deacon's fellow Baltimoreans. One is the tribal Teeth Mountain, an act that creates satisfyingly repetitive trance music out of the most unlikely ingredients, ultimately sounding something akin to what would happen if Ravi Shankar met up with Panda Bear for an afternoon. Also holding down the early portion of the concert is Future Islands, a minimalist pop outfit with an appeal similar to the four track demos of any number of highly successful eighties bands. A good mix altogether, it seems, for a truly whacked out Friday night at Emo's.