Deerhunter @ La Tulipe

“How are you?”

This is the gracious question Bradford Cox poses to his eager Sunday night audience as Cox, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, and Lockett Pund, altogether known as Deerhunter, stride onto stage grabbing at their respective instruments. This opening line is a little off-putting considering Cox's reputation of bolstering out on stage in long feminine dresses with an inherent air of predisposed aggravation. What you become reminded of is that this is a reputation from years past. Perhaps post solo non-Deerhunter projects have set this anxious dude at ease, because there he is, tall (obviously), in slim slacks, and a wool turtleneck sweater, evoking a sincerity that almost compels me to say, “ Great! Thanks for asking!”

Deerhunter is a self-defined, ‘ambient punk’ band on tour for the release of their fourth full record, Halcyon Digest. Halcyon (hal-see-uhn) is just another word to refer to idyllic happiness, and if that’ s what the record conjures up for you, then good. Great. Because the rest of the rock snobs have been receiving it with a yawn. Admittingly it is time, having made it to the point of releasing a fourth record, this band couldn’t possible be cool anymore. Ha. Ha. For a young band, Deerhunter have managed to compile a skilled discography of haunting noise rock - first audible on Turn it Up Faggot (2005), and most notable on the eerily hypnotic Cryptograms (2007). Halcyon Digest now stands as a respectable opponent against 2008’s Microcastle/Weird Era Cont, in terms of their most accessible work yet. Halcyon Digest brings forth the pure pop songs you were sure Microcastle were getting at.

What the rock snob in you thinks they don’ t like in this record is corrected in a live context. Opening first for the band is Casino vs. Japan, which if you read the Deerhunter blog (is it evident yet that I do?), you would know is a current Cox favourite. Following them is surf pop band Real Estate impressing me for the second time (having last seen them open for Woods). At the end of the show Cox will thank those “ surrealist apes” and he will be apt to do.

Deerhunter opens their set with HD’ s "Desire Lines" in which guitarist Lockett Pundt both satisfactorily and impressively takes on the vocals. This is then seamlessly transitioned into a comfortable rendition of "Hazel St", which by the way, is a great way to open a show – starting with a brand new song that bleeds into an older fan favourite. Fans love it when you bleed! And then come the pop songs. Cox mockingly whines at himself in the “why oh why”s of "Don’t Cry", and stubbornly drills at the words “darkness” and, “always” in "Revival". The set list transitions back and forth between older and newer material. “Nothing Ever Happened” stands as the highlight of the evening, extended out into a seemingly ten-minute noisy lullaby, concluding with a swell of welcomed feedback. I hate to gush, because there are in fact setbacks, a briefly muted mic for the second to last song, awkward Cox laughter, and as usual, not enough cowbell. Yet, even if standing there in the middle, bassist Josh Fauver seems to look disconnected (which to be fair, is shoegaze law), the band is clocking in another successfully noisy show to their tour.

Cox remains gracious throughout the evening, vocalizing curt but appreciative gratitude. “Thank you, good stuff, I love you too.” He acknowledges the birthday of a beloved soundman, and the little cluster of audience directly in front of him begins to sing out, “Happy Birthday.” Cox catches this, stop himself mid sentence and says, “Yeah, go” as he knocks his microphone around towards the audience. He is recording this whole time and when they are close to done, he will put his fingers to his lips, loop the recording, replay it, and claim, “ This is what you sound like frozen in time.” As the band returns for the encore, Cox is carried out in the arms of a soundman curled up in fetal position, corresponding to the figure on the cover of Halcyon Digest. Evoking the Marilyn to his JFK, Cox then wails out a whispered acappella rendition of the happy birthday song. Adhering to the flow of older and newer material, "Basement Scene" and "Fluorescent Grey" fill out the encore. It has officially been an evening of idyllic happiness.