Dungen at the Mohawk [Show Preview]
Saturday, September 18
Mohawk (912 Red River Street)
$12, 9pm, Outside
[info] | [tickets]
Dungen started out primarily as an outlet for the immensely talented Gustav Ejstes, who is well-versed in a variety of instruments, including guitar, bass, drums, piano, fiddle, and flute. He soon recruited a small combo for the live setting, but after almost a decade of touring, the band has become a de facto part of the recording process as well. They have seven albums to their credit, including the recently-released Skit I Allt. The records are all warm recreations of their live experience, and it’s obvious their musical telepathy comes from years spent on the road.
Each Dungen song is a world in itself, drawing from folk, jazz, classical, rock, and metal to create kaleidoscopes of sound. Ejstes sings them all in Swedish, but there’s hardly any language barrier. He’s the consummate frontman, and his vocals are expressive enough that no translation is needed. But amid the walls of harmonies, acid-drenched guitar solos, and zigzagging song structures is drummer Johan Holmegard, the band’s secret weapon. His keeps Dungen tethered with both precision and power, recalling the polyrhythmic grace of legendary jazz drummer Art Blakey and the explosiveness of Keith Moon. With Holmegard at the helm, the group’s dynamism comes to the forefront.
Psychedelia has gone through so many iterations and appropriations that it’s a wonder there’s any gas left in the tank. But Dungen breathe fresh air into the sound, using their influences as springboards rather than badges of honor. Watch them lift off this Saturday night on the Mohawk’s outdoor stage.
