I’ve long been a fan of Merrill Garbus, better known as tUnE-yArDs, that unfortunately capitalized lo-fi experimental outfit characterized by wild melodies and booty-shaking rhythms. Her live show is captivating and impressive, as she crafts floor tom beats to back vocal and ukulele loops and churns out fascinating pop.
The first tUnE-yArDs set I caught at SXSW was a bit of a haphazard one at Red 7, during the first daytime showcase of the first day. After some technical issues, Garbus pumped out a quick set that seemed to lack the precision and tightness of the previous times I had seen her perform. Looking a bit flustered, Garbus seemed to be going through the motions rather than really living in the music, and it came through over the speakers. Her cause wasn’t helped much by the venue or the preceding acts; the set started late, the mix wasn’t great, and Red 7 ended up cutting her set short as the clock struck 6. It’s not atypical for SXSW day showcases to get cut off – in fact, rare is the SXSW show that doesn’t feel some sort of time pressure – but it was still disappointing.
The next day, though, Garbus found some redemption in the NPR showcase at the Parish. In a more pristine setting, tUnE-yArDs followed Colin Stetson’s incredible saxophone virtuosity with a more upbeat and comfortable set. Backed by her bassist, Garbus played through a stellar set, including old standby “Fiya” and a number of newer bangers like “Bizness,” “Gangsta” and “Doorstep.” She’s been playing many of the latter tunes in concerts for almost two years now, but post-recording session for her new album W H O K I L L, they sound fresh and reinvigorated.
Garbus and tUnE-yArDs have been through a bit of a progression over the past year or two – a progression that includes the group’s migration from ultra lo-fi to a more polished sound. In some ways, that step away from their roots is a welcome decision; the band’s new album is incredibly good, and the pristine sonics work well with the music. In concert, though, it does dilute Garbus’ power a little. Although the NPR show was great, she did get steamrolled a bit by her overenthusiastic saxophone duo, leading me to wonder if perhaps her live performances might be better served by returning to the two person set up that places the spotlight directly (and more or less solely) on Garbus.
Still, tUnE-yArDs remains one of the more impressive acts performing live music these days, and to see her is to explore sonic realms that lay largely untapped by the general population. As one crowdmember said as tUnE-yArDs left the stage, you see lots of bands at SXSW that sound like what music is today. tUnE-yArDs sounds like what music will be tomorrow.
