It’s easy to see how Dan Deacon gets his reputation for live shenanigans. When I arrived at the Haunt on Monday night it was clear to see that Deacon had the audience in the palm of his hand, obeying his every command like obedient dogs with wagging tails. It wasn’t just a few willing members that were heeding Deacon’s command, it was everyone. Had I not read up on the Dan Deacon live experience, I would have seriously questioned what I’d walked into, but as it turns out, everything was running according to script, with Deacon as the puppet master.

 

When not in “Simon says” mode, Deacon performs his music with electrifying intensity and unbridled rapture – each song is delivered as if it could be the last time it ever gets played. Gliss Riffer’s (new album) Sheathed Wings is a whirlpool of processed vocals and bass driven madness and Snookered (from 2009’s Bromst) starts life as a series of philosophical questions backed by an ever increasing maelstrom of drums that reaches volcanic eruption levels. With a violent accompaniment of strobe lights, it’s a bit of an epileptic’s nightmare, but you couldn’t call it half-hearted.

 

The live environment suits Deacon well – stories come easily to him, almost as a stream of consciousness or commentary. His brain is clearly quick (as reflected in his compositions) and he’s an articulate chap, which is just as well, as he spends large chunks of the show talking or instructing his entranced audience.

 

The last two songs are compelling, breathless and loud. When I say loud, I mean loud enough to make the bar shake! It’s a more intense loudness than just noise, though, the energy he realises and releases in people fills the room to combine with the music in an essential cascade of life and vitality, making it an inimitable live experience.

Adam Atkins

 

Website: dandeacon.com