Concert review: Grizzly Bear at the Granada Theater (June 15)

by Mandi Collier

A sold-out crowd and stifling temperature greeted Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear Monday night at the Granada Theater. Even though doors opened right around 8 p.m., the entrance line continued to snake around and behind the venue two hours later. Dallas hipsters from far and wide grabbed their plaid button downs and messenger bags without haste to see what all the Veckatimest-related fuss was about.

Yet another Brooklyn native, Here We Go Magic, opened the show with a style similar to their headliner. At this point, a large majority of the crowd began to file into the sweltering room. Though it didn’t seem that a complete lack of air conditioning was to blame, there was without a doubt minimal air circulation. Handbills became fans and beer bottles turned to ice packs as the onlookers attempted to cool down while they waited.

The foursome finally took the stage sometime after 10 p.m., and greeted its sweaty fans with a short and sweet, “Good Evening Dallas.” They quickly followed the introduction with one of their newest offerings, “Southern Point” off the new album, Veckatimest (Warp). The song played the role of a perfect opener as it eased into the crescendo, preparing each ear for the hour or so to come. The vocals throughout the chorus were right on, matching the implicit sound found on the recorded version.

“Lullabye” and “Knife,” both tracks from their previous release, Yellow House, followed next. The former was previously somewhat of a disjointed song, but it was magically turned into a new kind of jam session live--not to be confused with jams of Widespread Panic or the like; no, this was an ambient, electronic jam. This one brought vocals and instruments in and out, in different places, for varying lengths of time. “Knife” was a quickly recognized crowd favorite--many knew the song from the first few guitar strums. The song is rather quiet, with few drums, and the perfect four harmonies was impossible to miss. Because each member is responsible for one level of the cohesive sound, it’s somewhat difficult to know just who’s leading and who’s in the background. This indistinguishable quality, however, is irrelevant as the final product is something pure and almost innocent sounding.

Another Veckatimest track was featured shortly after, and introduced with a tease. The first few keyboard notes were played, then stopped with a laugh, and then resumed. The crowd cheered at both mentions of the song, ultimately grateful that all of “Two Weeks” was played. The background harmonies span octaves and should even be considered as a second lead, regardless of the lack of words--the “ahs” are just as crucial to the success of the song.

Prior to the encore, “While You Wait For The Others” made an appearance, enticing slightly more movement from the crowd and convincing most listeners to go a step farther than the standard head bob. Ultimately each person was attentive and engaged in the psychedelic soul that Grizzly Bear emitted last night, regardless of what means he or she decided to express it.

Though each Grizzly song may, on occasion, be difficult to follow because of the many complexities, it is more than obvious that these four guys truly care about their craft. They incorporate more instruments than the standard guitar and drums, a recorder and bass clarinet for example, while fine tuning each voice to create the perfect harmony. Their live performance affirmed the belief that Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood once voiced: Grizzly Bear is committed to positively influencing the music industry, by making music with substance both in the studio and on the road.