Deer Tick started off their set with the slow but loud tune, "These Old Shoes." The coolest part of the song is when John McCauley mightily declares "it was a no go for this hobo!" and interestingly you could hear and see many in the audience sing along and pound fists in the air when the part came around. This was only one of many things that made the night so much fun. The lead singer interacted with the crowd in between songs by talking about how some of the songs came to be, current events, the sensation he felt from the flickering red green and blue lights, and how much Deer Tick loved Laredo.
The show got extra intimate during the song "Ashamed" when John McCauley stepped off the stage and touched people's faces and warmly wrapped his arm around lucky members of the audience. Then the performance got even cooler when the keyboardist took out his saxophone and played a solo! It was totally unexpected but greatly appreciated. The crowd was enthusiastic about Deer Tick and made them feel welcome by cheering and applauding after all 23 songs. The songs on their set included selections from their three full length albums, covers, and other unreleased but popular Deer Tick songs, such as "Cake and Eggs." Probably the most exciting part of the night was when they covered Ritchie Valens's "La Bamba." Everybody knew the lyrics to this classic and super energetic song. The night ended with a solo performance by McCauley of "Art Isn't Real" and he made everyone there happy when he genuinely said "This has been a wonderful experience, thank you very much Laredo, Deer Tick loves you!"
J Roddy Walston and the Business opened up for Deer Tick and put on a great show as well. Don't let their long hair and rugged looks fool you because these guys can harmonize and play catchy songs that will make you want to keep listening, such as the song "Caroline." Throughout the entire set the piano frontman was jamming on his Yamaha and tossing his long hair all over the place. It was evident that the band was having fun playing their music which is a mix of rock, harmonizing vocals, and piano jigs. I wish I would have taken extra cash to buy their cd since I don't have anything of their style of music in my collection. If anything they are like a rougher version of Dr. Dog but that's just a vague comparison (based on Dr. Dog songs "Hang On" and "The Rabbit, The Bat & The Reindeer").
Thursday night, more than anything, was memorable for the intimate and fun performances of both bands. It was never boring. If at any moment you got bored someone else's excitement would instantly rub off on you and make you feel happy for being there and listening to the live music.
As a Deer Tick fan, the show at Old No.2 on Thursday will go down in my book as one of the coolest shows ever and all for the low price of ten dollars. Thank you B Live Promotions.
setlist:
These old shoes
Choir of angels
Bury Deep
Smith Hill
When She Comes Home
Twenty Miles
Easy
Cake and Eggs
Make Believe
Can't Hardly Wait (The Replacement's cover)
Baltimore Blues
Little White Lies
Hope is big
Ashamed
Something to brag about
Dirty Dishes
Daydream
Christ Jesus
Mange
New Orleans
Born
La Bamba
Art isn't real
video:
