Wild Beasts and Telekinesis at the Parish [ACL Aftershow Review]

Wild Beasts Myspace

Just before Wild Beasts played "The Devil's Crayon," the sole song in their set from debut album Limbo, Panto, front man Hayden Thorpe introduced the song by saying, "This song brings us back to our younger selves." This sentiment, expressed only a mere three years after Limbo, Panto's release, serves as a testament to how much Wild Beasts have grown as a band. Over the course of three albums, the band has transformed themselves from baroque troublemakers obsessed with the brash sides of sex and brutality into a group who delicately explores the personal tolls that such things bring. Regardless of their artistic direction, they have managed to sound like no other band making music today, and they have released one of 2011's finest albums in Smother. Their talents were on full display at the Parish, and it made for a mesmerizing set that ably proved why they are one of the most unique groups around.

Opening band Telekinesis were an interesting choice, as their straightforward rock songs were not telling of the intricate and delicate music of Wild Beasts. The Seatlle band, led by drummer/singer Michael Lerner, played an energetic set of their sugary pop songs, but did little to distinguish themselves. This is not to say that the band put on a bad set (they didn't), as songs like "Car Crash" and "I Cannot Love You" were fun enough and the band looked to be having a good time onstage. Lerner's voice, which sounded like a younger Ted Leo, was a good vehicle to communicate the kind of young love sentiments his lyrics covey, and guitarist Cody Votolato (formerly of the Blood Brothers) and bassist Jason Narducy made for a great backing band. However, the kind of music Lerner trades in has been done to death over the last several years, and without any sort of X-factor to his sound, the group's set was the equivalent of hearing a pleasant song on the radio and forgetting about it soon after.

Following a rather lengthy sound check, Wild Beasts finally emerged and started their set with slow burner "The Lion's Share," the first cut off of Smother. Though the song didn't contain any guitars, several of the band's key attributes were already present. Thorpe's one of a kind falsetto took the lead, and the way he harmonized with the deep croon of band mate Tom Fleming was nothing short of spectacular. Next came the full and rich sound of album standout "Loop the Loop" and Fleming's gorgeous lead on "Deeper" - each song demonstrated how the sheer beauty and subtlety of Smother effortlessly came to life onstage. The same could be said about the band's older material too, as songs like "We've Still Got the Taste Dancing On Our Tongues" and "This Is Our Lot" fit right alongside the new songs. Throughout their set, the guitars chimed courtesy of Thorpe and Fleming (who alternated between guitar and bass) as well as guitarist Ben Little, and Chris Talbot's emphatic drumming tied everything together.

Quite contrary to the nature of their name, the band exuded an elegant air onstage. This was best demonstrated in the ways that Thorpe would groove back and forth in a graceful manner and how Fleming bobbed his head to better feel the music. This sort of quiet confidence made for some beautiful moments throughout the night, especially on "Albatross" and the absolutely stunning "Reach A Bit Further," which had Thorpe and Fleming trading verses. Additionally, Thorpe provided several endearing moments of banter, including when he asked the audience to do a rain dance before "Bed of Nails" after mentioning that it had started pouring when they played the song at the festival on Friday.

If there was any sort of criticism to be levied at the experience itself, it was that some members of the crowd were extremely distracting. A lot of the noise made by the audience was audible during many of the band's most intimate moments, and several drunk girls danced to songs that weren't really danceable. If the point of an aftershow is to catch a band in a setting separate from the festival, the memo failed to reach several people who would have been better suited for the bars next door.

However, this did little to dampen the impact that Wild Beasts' music made. By the time fan favorite "All The Kings's Men" started the encore, it was clear that the band were operating in their comfort zone, and that they had put their all into their performance. Those on hand at the Parish got to experience a group with a singular sound, one that has only continued to grow, and one that will likely keep innovating for many years to come.

Wild Beasts: [official]
Telekinesis: [official]