I Am a Deep Sea Diver With My Fins, and Underneath Your Currents I Do Swim

(If you are out tonight come to Dr. Pong, Eberswalder Str 21. i'm djing from 11 + celebrating my 1 year Berlinniversary! Yay!)

It's quite fitting that the coat of arms for Berlin depicts a grizzly bear because when Grizzly Bear themselves took to the stage here last Tuesday night with such ease and comfort, it was like watching them in their natural habitat.

The gig started a little shakily due to some technical problems, but it was nothing that an impromptu Hot Chip cover and some sellotape couldn't fix. Hearing "Boy From School" get the Grizzly Bear treatment more than made up for the glitch in the switches. The band themselves come across as a warm and fuzzy bunch, like cuddly teddy bears that you want to bring along on your picnic, rather than ferocious attacking animals that want to have you for their picnic.
I was fairly rooted to the spot in wonderment and happiness because this was a really great gig. The ferocity that their band name suggests is found in the pounding drums and vicious guitar riffs that work so well with their dreamy vocals and thoughtful instrumentation. And how those drums are pounded! It was beyond awesome watching Christopher Bear (yes! yay!) pounding those skins. Sometimes it was like being blasted by a sound wave. At this show, it sounded like they band were working a much heavier sound than last time, when they played in WestGermany. Except of course on dreamy numbers like "the Knife". My oh my is that song the best thing ever. Like Ed said, "sometimes we rock, sometimes we don't". The contrast of two lead vocalists develops a deep richness through their psychedelic rock. Their lyrics are eerie and haunting with melodies to match, all of it flowing so well in the shape-shifting song structures like "Deep Sea Diver" and "On a Neck On a Spit".
They remind me of Mercury Rev and the Beach Boys, and some comparisons made by others include the Who.

This video made by Blogotheque is JUST SO GOOD.





Check out Gregory Nolan's photography. In particular that batch of backstage Black Wire backstage snaps! New drummer!