One of the many great aspects of seeing a show at the Triple Door is that they start promptly. At exactly 7:30 p.m., Hospital Ships appeared on a stage set with grand piano, xylophone, clarinet, maracas, tambourine, saxophone, and a drum kit with an eight-foot tall pentagram-tagged cymbal. Singer Jordan Geiger’s voice, while distinctive, was decidedly whiney, and did not sit well on these eardrums. There seemed to be an imbalance between the strength of his voice and that of the music, which was mostly of the well-executed rock variety and was played here by members of Shearwater and Wye Oak. This nuance of imbalance would be confirmed in retrospect by comparison to the two acts to come. The one song that did stick in my memory was sung by a guest guitarist and female friend of Geiger, named Spencer; it was pretty, driving and minimalistic. Hospital Ships’ last song was a Pearl Jam teaser come true. Geiger had mentioned that he has covered Pearl Jam in the past but wouldn’t this night. He surprised us with a decent version of “I Will Walk.”
The thought of Pearl Jam turned out to be a nice transition for Wye Oak in terms of commanding vocalists and wailing guitar. “It’s amazing how full their sound is for just two people,” commented my date, as he ate coconut flan. Jenn Wasner’s country-tinged voice, reminiscent of Jim James and Neko Case, accompanied by wailing guitar and thick, heavy drumming, seemed to me like music perfect for driving on the highway with the windows rolled down. There are plenty of female guitarists out there, but it’s unfortunately rare to see one play with so much confidence. Thao Nguyen, from Thao with the Get Down Stay Down comes to mind. Though stylistically different, she and Wasner both fucking shred.
Also at the front of the stage sat drummer Andy Stack, who engaged in almost constant one-handed keyboard and melodica playing (not to mention one-handed drumming). Both parties were loud and perfectly in balance to create that kind of musical soundscape you can just about float away in. Wye Oak’s final song also turned out to be a cover: The Kinks “Strangers,” with Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater joining in on guitar and vocals. That set could have lasted up into infinity, as far as I was concerned.
But, oh yeah, Shearwater was next. Shearwater opened with the second track from Golden Archipeligo, and in fact played every song from the album, if I’m not mistaken. Joined by all members of previous bands for a percussion party at the back of the stage, Shearwater portrayed the songs beautifully, with all the high drama of the album. Yellow sunbeam-like light illuminated Meiburg’s profile, as he stood before a stark, starry backdrop. Though he commented that his voice was shot from touring, his delivery was pitch perfect. Drummer/clarinet player Thor Harris, with his incongruous, but somehow appropriate, barbarian appearance kept time with battle march-worthy rhythms. Harris and band mate Kimberly Burke doubled up on xylophone as others strummed piano strings, bowed the upright bass, and seamlessly traded instruments. “This band has three allies from Seattle: KEXP, our booking agent, and the sound mixer who is here at the Triple Door tonight,” announced Meiburg, eliciting a cheer from the audience. All three acts commented on the upscale environment and auditory expansiveness of the Triple Door. As an audience we were equally pleased.
“I saw a new bird today. A green swallow at Volunteer Park. Really cute with white ears,” Meiburg digressed between songs. And as the music started up again, I thought, as silly as it sounds, this is the music of swallows swooping and dive bombing above the reservoir from the tower at volunteer park, with views of the city, and most importantly, the natural world beyond.
