While most artists are asking their audiences if they are having fun, Merrill Garbus is out there yelling, "Do you want to live!?" In this query - which when shouted seems more like a command than a question - you can hear the courageousness of spirit that gives her songs such a fascinating sense of gravity, and her fans such a valiant hero to admire. She is the type of person who lives out loud; and when that sense of self is paired with a set predominantly pulled from w h o k i l l, all signs point to rapture.
Speaking of rapture, opener Buke & Gass' set was so good that I'd be shocked if tUnE-yArDs didn't see it as a serious challenge to the kingdom of headliner. Drawing mostly from Riposte, their sorta-pop songs had all the intensity of a manic episode, but none of the structural fallout that comes with its unchecked release. This tension is palpable, and because it's only let out in gasps, the layers around them feel massive and ever-growing. If I told you there were eight people on stage, this wealth of noise might seem normal, but when it originates from the bodies of two people, it's positively astounding. I say bodies because each person, from singer Arone Dyer to guitarist/bassist Aron Sanchez (he plays a hybridization of both instruments called a "gass"), utilize every limb they have in order to play the myriad of instruments laid out before them. Arone sings, plays a baritone ukelele (the "buke"), and taps out jangly rhythms with her toe-bourine (yes, a make-shift tambo is attached to her shoe), while Aron plays the gass and pummels his kick drum. I'd make a one-man-band crack if I didn't think it would demean how cool it was to watch them.
Judging by the explosions of noise that escaped from their lips every time one of B&G's prog-lite rock jams ended, the crowd agreed with my assessment. This barrage wasn't the type of sound that tends to leave a true blue fan though. No, this came from a group truly shocked and bowled over by what they had just witnessed; it was the yell of a mob running into the fold. Being that Riposte was criminally underreported last year, it's not surprising that people are only now starting to come to the table. But I'd wager that after more people get their hands on songs as captivating (and accessibly non-linear) as "Sleep Gets Your Ghost," and "Medicina," you'll find a lot more die-hards in the audience singing along and pumping their fist to that kick drum beat. I know they are one of my new favorites.
The pivotal moment of the tUnE-yArDs set came not during a song, but after. In the moments following "Bizness," one this year's truly great songs, Merrill graciously responded to near-euphoric applause with a simple "aw shucks," and the more telling statement, "everyone is being so nice lately." Undoubtedly, she was referencing the wave of enthusiasm and support that has been flowing her way ever since her latest album, w h o k i l l leaked. This interest in everything tUnE-yArdS has been unanimously positive, and rightfully so, to the point where Merrill appears to be sitting on the cusp of a cross-over. Her live show only reinforces the push towards widespread approval, as it can be called nothing less than a tour-de-force.
Even without the dynamism of her music - a cross between r&b, experimental folk, and Afro-pop - Merrill's voice would astound you. Her range and technical skill are immediately apparent, but it is in the way it's used that she really shines. Deep and sweet on one end, aggressive and gnashing at the other, Merrill's voice is a conduit to colors that only grow more intense when set free. It's nearest companion is Nina Simone, not only for its style, but its lack of conventionality, as well. It's something you get lost in, like when she sang, "Powa." I doubt you would ever hear Nina be so blunt as to say, "my man likes me from behind," though.
The sultry groove of "Powa," was an anomaly in a night that consistently veered towards animated vocals and polyrhythmic loops. And it was in her loops that you could actually see the magic of w h o k i l l's layers come to life. On "Gangsta," a serious crowd-favorite, she turned her voice into a multi-part siren that echoed like a warning behind her. On "Doorstep," she created a three-part, doo-wop style harmony section that recalled the best moments of The Supremes. And each time she did this, you could see how the necessity of her past, of not having all of the tools of the studio, or other players to play with, had trained her to be self-reliant, and probably, to believe in herself. The cool thing is that with w h o k i l l, she is going to see a lot more people believing in her now, too.
The crowd that was there was definitely rapt (and sold out for that matter), either looking on lovingly or dancing with different shades of abandon. They were also fairly vocal with expressions of their love, or admiration, or one drunk girl's favorite phrase, "get it girl," which was uttered a bajillion times too many (one is too many). During "Hatari," Merrill decided to use their voices when she yelled out, "you guys sing this note!" What came back was deafening. They were with her. Laughing when she accidentally kicked on an "Es-So" loop before "Powa," and hopping along during "You Yes You." It was just people out there having a good time, which got me thinking, maybe the act of seeing someone else feeling free is the key to unlocking your own capacity for release. Makes sense and in a way, helping things become what they should or were always meant to be seems to be what tUnE-yArDs is all about, or as Merrill told it to The Guardian earlier this month: "In the beginning, tUnE-yArDs was this idea that I had so much within me as one person, and that musically, I had so much to say. Once the songs began to unfold themselves, I just had to let them out." Keep 'em coming.
tUnE-yArDs Setlist:
Do You Want To Live?
You Yes You
Gangsta
Es-So
Powa
Fiya
Bizness
Doorstep
Hatari
Killa
Encore:
Real Live Flesh
My Country
