Little Teeth @ Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco-January 14, 2010

MUSIC BOX

Little Teeth @ Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco-January 14, 2010

I don’t know why, but something about Café Du Nord reminds me of an 18^th century schooner. Maybe it’s the gorgeous lacquered wood enveloping the establishment, maybe it’s the way the dim lights seem to flicker like candles, or perhaps it’s just the cozy environment the layout of the space naturally exudes. In any case, I always seem to be in a good mood when I shuffle down the stairs into the venue, and the respite it gave me from the rain on this particular Thursday made it even more of a haven. The fact that I was able to see the amazing local talent of Powerdove, Odawas, and then Little Teeth seemed like an added benefit.

I’m afraid the rain scared away many potential concertgoers this evening, but Power Dove didn’t seem to care as they took the stage with a quiet majesty. A three piece composed of a stand up bass, percussion, and a guitarist/vocalist, I felt their music was a perfect match for the weather. With an atmospheric and sparse set, the majority of the audience sat on the floor in traditional slowcore fashion. Annie’s gentle crooning was the centerpiece of their set, with the light strumming of her small guitar anchoring the cello and snare floating in the background. It seemed almost like a beat poet reading, with the tracks resembling a form of adult nursery rhymes ranging from a less to a minute long ditty to fully fleshed out pieces. They are just leaving to go on tour, so if they come to your town I’d recommend catching them if you are in the mood for a calming and introspective coffeehouse style show.

After a round of Jameson, I saw Odawas clamoring up on stage for their set. Without a doubt, they had the largest crowd of the night and I could see why. After spending some time debating how to describe their sound, I decided they would be a great soundtrack to a 1980s John Hughes movie if it took place in the world of Flash Gordon but played by the Decemberists. A four piece from Berkeley with drums, stand up electric bass, keyboards, and a guitarist/vocalist, they created an eclectic sound that I was certainly not expecting. When they busted out whistling melodies and a harmonica, I was transported to a space western in my head and I unconsciously began dancing along. Their stage presence left a little to be desired, but they made up for it with the power of their tracks and overbearing electronic hooks.

When Little Teeth finally made it on, I was ready. I’m a big fan of their 2008 full-length, Child Bearing Man, and I’d heard stories of their live shows before. Thankfully, they did not disappoint. Throughout the course of the night there were drums, banjos, guitars, cellos, violins, keyboards, seashells, pots, xylophones and more, including some instruments that, to be honest, I don’t even know the names of. Oh and I forgot to mention there are only three people in the band. Little Teeth would best be described as freak folk, but on the complete other end of the spectrum from artists like Devendra Banhart. Even the slow tracks came out with a force that shook me, causing lead vocalist Dannie Murrie to complain that she blew her voice out after the first couple of tracks (though I didn’t notice, she was great for the entire set).

Controlled chaos is a satisfactory label for them, as they created a swirling vortex of disparate sounds that blended together like a top-shelf cocktail. Despite the passionate performance there were small chinks in their armor, with Sofia Bell muttering several times about how nervous she was, though it was not enough to seriously detract from the show. Overall I would say they recreated their distinct recorded sound in an even more dynamic fashion with their live show, and the energy and experimental vibes they provided me was more then entertaining.

MUSIC BOX

Little Teeth @ Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco-January 14, 2010

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