Last Thursday, just as the coronavirus pandemic was sweeping through the US, we got in one last show. What may be our last show for a while, Destroyer brought their latest album Have We Met to Terminal West in Atlanta with Nap Eyes opening.
By Thursday afternoon, postponements and cancellations were sweeping in by the minute. At this point, both Destroyer and Nap Eyes were planning to move forward. The Canadian bands on tour together played in Chapel Hill the night before, and were scheduled for Nashville the following night. Atlanta ended up being their last show together and Nap Eyes’ final show for a while. Destroyer carried on for one more night with Mercy Lounge being their final show.
For fans coming out to the shows, people still had to make their own decision on whether to attend or not. The crowd at Terminal West was still pretty solid. It was a little eerie walking in with people debating the merits of what was really going on. But the people came out looking for some healing in live music while the option still existed. It wasn’t the fully packed out show you would normally see at Terminal West; there was room for people to give each other space without crowding on top of each other. And the show went on.
Opening the night was jangle pop foursome, Nap Eyes from Nova Scotia. Led by frontman Nigel Chapman, Nap Eyes are preparing to release their fourth album, Snapshot of a Beginner on March 27th via Jagjaguwar / Royal Mountain. Chapman’s soul searching lyrics over the band’s experimental rock has attracted a strong and loving fanbase, with plenty of critical acclaim so far. Now set to release their most “concentrated and hi-fi” effort to date, if the new singles are any indication, the new album is sure to hit even wider audiences, putting Nap Eyes in the conversation with some of the best bands in indie rock today.
It was probably a weird feeling for Nap Eyes when taking the Terminal West stage. Sure, plenty of great bands have opened for other bands to a sparse audience. But with COVID-19 updates coming in hour by hour, minute by minute, who knew how the crowd would be or how many would show. So Nap Eyes played. The crowd started filling into the venue with one hell of set going on. For this tour with Destroyer, Nap Eyes had a guest filling in on guitar, the one and only Ryley Walker, himself an acclaimed songwriter and guitarist. Walker was absolutely mesmerizing on the far side of the stage as the core of the band delivered upon some of their beloved songs like “Stargazer” and new singles like “Mark Zuckerberg” and “Mystery Calling”. By the time Nap Eyes hit the middle of their set, the eerie beginning had passed and it was clear this was the medicine needed in these trying times. Nap Eyes was set to support their about to be released new album over the next two months, with headlining dates in both the US and Europe, but that tour is currently postponed. In the meantime, you can support the band by picking up their new album, Snapshot of a Beginner, which will be out into the world March 27th. You can pick up the new album on your favorite platform here.
Nap Eyes wowed the crowd and when Destroyer finally took the stage, spirits were great. There was an resemblance of normalcy. We all remember why we were there and let the stresses float away for a time. And if this was the last live show we attended for a while, well I can’t think of a better way to go out.
Destroyer released their latest album, Have We Met, on January 30th via Merge Records / Dead Oceans. The Vancouver-based indie rock titans lead by frontman Dan Bejar have been around since 1995 releasing 12 studio albums. The seven piece band immediately started their set with the lead single from the new album “Crimson Tide”, and playing at least 6 new songs. “Cue Synthesizer” was another of the crowd pleasers out of the new songs. Of course there were the now classics sprinkled in through the set, “Kaputt”, “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood”, “Chinatown”, and encore “Bay of Pigs”.
Frontman Dan Bejar’s nonchalant stage presence presents life goals during these crazy times. He’s able to passionately deliver the emotion of the songs, all while maintaining an even keel balance that we should all try to keep today. Dan just delivers, no frills, just straightforward pensiveness. But really all he is doing is living in these songs with the audience, all while the band destroys around him. From the one man horn show that just sings throughout the venue, to the soaring guitars, to the electric drums and the spacey synths, Destroyer puts on a pulsating live show that was just what the doctor ordered for the Atlanta crowd.
Heading home that night after the show had ended, the world didn’t feel so bleak anymore. Whatever your form of music may be, I think we can all agree that music is a healing art form that we all can use. Of course, by the time Friday morning hit, the brevity of the situation was very much a reality. Here we are now, one week later, pretty much all tours have been cancelled or postponed from now until at least past May. Shaky Knees, Bonnaroo, Coachella, 420 Fest, SXSW, and so many more spring and now early summer festivals have been postponed or rescheduled. Heck at least for the next month, there won’t be live in person music to be found hardly anywhere.
For bands like Destroyer, who just released their new album, and Nap Eyes, who are about to release their new album, this next year and these planned tours around their album releases are key cogs into the ecosystem of their existence. Of course, these tours will be eventually rescheduled, but there is no denying that this pandemic will have an impact on bands like these two and so many more indie artists over the coming months and years. Not only will many artists need to figure out their roles as musicians in the coming months, but many of these same people rely on the hospitality industry to give them the flexibility to pursue their art full time. Now many bars, restaurants, catering and events companies, have no work to provide. And that’s not even considering the sound guy that makes your favorite band sound great, the photographer who captures the moments, the promoter who puts on the show, the door guy, the merch guy, and so many more.
Honestly it’s scary times out there as it sits today, Thursday, March 19th. Wherever your opinions may lie on this pandemic, one week after the Destroyer show in Atlanta, we already know that the impact felt throughout the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic is very real. Maybe in 8 weeks, the US will start getting back to normal somewhat, or perhaps it could be much longer. We really don’t know at this point. But if we’ve learned anything throughout history, it’s that the art will find a way to rise, just like we as people will. Already musicians are trying to adjust their models, live shows are occurring hourly via live streaming as festivals and concerts work to adjust and reschedule based on what they know today. And in the meantime, we can still support our favorite artists in so many ways. A lot of record stores are currently closing their doors to the public for the time being, but many of them you can still order records online (Support your local records stores! Even better, Amazon is halting vinyl sales to keep space for essentials, so yeah, you should be ordering vinyl local anyways). You can order directly from the artist or their record label. You can order/download directly from their Bandcamp. You can buy merch – t-shirts, posters, coffee mug, whatever – directly from the artists. Follow your favorite artists on social media as many of them are coming up with new ways to engage daily.
We all may be social distancing right now, but the world is, and will go on. If there’s anything I’ve learned on my time here on earth, it’s that music will be right there to get us all through it. We are all in this together. Whether it’s a month, 3 months, or a year from now, I personally can’t wait until the next live, in person show and the many more to come in the future. For now, Destroyer and Nap Eyes was one of hell of a last show before it all got shutdown, a show that those in attendance won’t soon forget.
Stay safe, support art, care for others, love yourself, support your fellow humans, take this time to be better, understand others. Things are not as dire as they may seem, but this is very real. And who knows how things will look on the other side. As always, we will prevail, and music will play a big part in getting us there. In the meantime, enjoy these photos from the Nap Eyes and Destroyer show at Terminal West in Atlanta by Mike Gerry below:
NAP EYES
DESTROYER
DESTROYER ONLINE:
BANDCAMP // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM
