Something you would never imagine when going to a concert is seeing a comedian open up the set. Yet, this has been a recent trend in New York. Dave Chappell has hosted Donald Glover, The Roots, and more at his residency at Radio City Music Hall.
This Saturday, December 2nd, it was Deer Tick hosting the New York comedian, Nore Davis, at the Brooklyn Steel venue in Brooklyn, New York. Not only was Deer Tick presenting a unique opener, but they are also performed two sets during their finale show. One set featured strictly acoustic renditions and the second introduced the amplification.
Lead singer, John McCauley, introduced Nore Davis. Davis is an uptown NY resident, residing in Yonkers. By himself, he was able to keep the crowd entertained by cracking jokes about something all New Yorkers can relate to, the transit system. Other subject matter from his first set included his battle with being a vegan and the fast food industry.
John McCauley and Ian O’Neil took the stage after Davis finished up his first set. The first set allowed the band to play fan favorites such as “Twenty Miles”, “Hope is Big”, and “Smith Hill”. It was clear that the sold out crowd was enjoying their time as they chanted “hope is big” and swayed like an ocean. After the drummer quoted his setup as a fish-bowl he sang, “Me and My Man”. At this point it was clear that every single member of the band would have an opportunity to sing during the show.The band finished up their acoustic set with a guitar driven performance of “Mange”. After grinding out guitar solos, the pianist grinded out a keyboard solo alongside drummer Dennis Ryan.
Nore Davis once again took the spotlight, but this time it was only for a few minutes. Discussion included social media and how he loves to use Venmo as a comedy tool. Commenting on his friends transactions and making them awkward. Davis once again thanked the crowd and re-introduced Deer Tick.
At this point, the crowd knew what to expect from Deer Tick and that was that the band would lay it all on the stage for the second set of their last show of the tour. McCauley took the stage sporting orange-tinted shades and the rest of the band carried a bright wardrobe.
After playing four songs, including “Miss K”, the band performed a cover of “Places That Are Gone” by Tommy Keene. McCauley took the keyboard ripped through “Christ Jesus”. First, it was just him performing and then the band took the stage and added energy that carried over into the rest of the set. At this point, there was no stopping the precision that the band brought to the stage. It was time for Ian O’ Neil to rip through “Look How Clean I️ am”, and he did while raising his guitar to the sky and then towards the audience.
The night was nearing curfew and McCauley performed a solo and heart-wrenching rendition of their song, “I️ Carried You to Bed”. The sadness shortly left as the band lead into “Sink and Swim”. The band carried out the rest of the set and left a buzz in the room. Go see Deer Tick immediately any chance you get, doctors orders.
See more photos of the night below:
1 Comment
Great writeup! That looks like a great show to have been at!