Deer Tick and Dead Confederate @Off Broadway

August 5, 2010
Deer Tick with Dead Confederate at Off Broadway.

I had purchased these tickets when the show was first announced.  I wasn't that familiar with either of the bands but from the buzz on each I knew I wanted to see the shows.  I downloaded Deer Tick's Black Dirt Sessions and Dead Confederate's Wrecking Ball to see what I was getting myself into.  I was slow to warm up to Black Dirt Sessions but the more I listen to it the more I love it.  Now that I've seen Dead Confederate I can also say I appreciate their album that much more.

The show was originally supposed to have a third band on the bill, Fattback.  A local band to St. Louis whose lead singer, Dave Hagerty, was killed in a hit and run accident in St. Louis the previous weekend.  Although the night had the opportunity to be somber it was really a lot of fun.  I think Deer Tick gave a portion of their night's proceeds to a memorial fund set up for in the name of Hagerty as well.

I think I'm slightly in love with Dead Confederate right now.  They have this grungy, mournful sound that reminds  me of my college years.  The band at first glance looks like Uncle John and his buddies started a band and asked the little emo neighbor kid to sing for them.  But after speaking with the lead singer, whom I now have some kind of cougary crush on, I was pleasantly surprised.  The new album, Sugar, comes out August 24th and I expect that it will differ a lot from the Wrecking Ball, purely based on what I heard at the show and recently read in a review.  It may lack of that angst that makes the Wrecking Ball album more attractive.  I think the new album will be 'happier' and less 'dirgey'.  Favorite songs from Wrecking Ball,  'The Rat', 'Heavy Petting' 'Goner' and 'Start Me Laughing'.

Deer Tick...  hmmmm...  the lead singer is kind of like Matthew McConaughey's character 'Wooderson' from Dazed and Confused.  Similar look and same happy go lucky 'heeeeey' attitude.  Maybe a little less strut.   The show was random and fun.  They played several songs from the Black Dirt Sessions including 'Twenty Miles'and 'Christ Jesus' as well as some older crowd favorites like 'Dirty Dishes' and 'Easy'.  They also did a lot of covers including ZZ Tops' 'Cheap Sunglasses', Paul Westerberg's 'Can't Hardly Wait', a small spoof on Hanson's Mmmm Bop, tipping their hat to them being in town the same night, and the intro to BOC's 'Don't Fear the Reaper' which was sadly lacking in cowbell.

This was the first time I'd seen Deer Tick but the second time for Dead Confederate.  I was a little obsessed with both bands for a few days after the show, reading what info I could about each band.  Apparently Deer Tick's John McCauley is quite the character on and off the stage.  I highly recommend checking out some of his antics.