The Rosebuds, Megafaun & Justin Vernon

There can be a certain loneliness to a touring band that can lead to an unnerving monotony, which in turn can lead to some rather dull shows. Everyone has been to the show were the bands are simply going through the motions in order to get done with the set list and move on to the next anonymous town. Luckily for the crowd gathered at the Turf Club Sunday night for the Rosebuds and Megafaun show, this was definitely not the case. This excellent show had the feel of a drunken reunion in someone’s basement where old friends were getting together and having fun playing their music while listening to some of their favorite bands.

Megafaun

The show brought together two bands that had at one point featured Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame, so it was no surprise to see Vernon milling around among old friends before the show. It is not uncommon for guests to come out and play with other bands, but there was clearly a different level of respect and admiration displayed among the bands at tonight’s show. They did not simply jump on stage and leave when they were done, but when their bands were not on stage, they were front and center, cheering and singing along to their friend’s music, which in turn created many memorable moments. It seemed like half the show was either played with guests on stage or on the floor in the middle of the crowd, which just added to the great communal feeling of the show.

Megafaun

Megafaun, Justin Vernon & The Rosebuds

The Rosebuds took the eat desert first theory and had their friends join them on stage for their very first song. The band was joined by all three members of Megafaun and Justin Vernon to help them sing and play various bells and shakers. The non-Rosebuds left after the song, but they didn’t go far as they stood near the front and sang along to their friends’ set. The Rosebuds played their slightly dark yet still soulful indie rock with most of the material coming from the last release, the excellent electronic tinged Night of the Furies, and their most recent disc, the back to the basics Life Like. The band, led by the male-female combo of Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp, sounded great and had the crowd dancing for the majority of the show. They even attempted, with some mild success, creating a dance (ala the Macarena) to accompany their songs “Bow to the Middle,” one of the standout tracks from Life Like.

The Rosebuds

There was a loose and fun feeling to their whole set that helped make their already infectious music seem even more engaging. At the end of their set, they grabbed their acoustic instruments and their friends in Megafaun and headed out onto the floor. They circled the area in the front of the stage where Vernon had been watching and started a loose acoustic jam where they played a couple older songs and had the entire crowd (including Vernon) singing along. It was one of those moments you could tell was special by the number of cameras and cell phones taking videos and pictures. The best part was that it seemed like the performers were having as much fun as the crowd was, which made for a really great moment.

The Rosebuds

Openers Magafaun look like they came straight from central casting for an outlaw alt-country rock and roll band. Their shaggy beards and rustic looks were matched by bouncing, banjo led rock and roll that they played for the first portion of their 45 minute set. During the middle of the set they focused more heavily on their noisy soundscapes and more adventurous noodling that put the banjo away and brought out the effect pedal boards. Like Wilco, they seem to have little trouble mixing two elements (alt-country and noisy freakouts) that would not seem like they would naturally fit together. They ended their set with an epic song that combined the two worlds in a long song that started and ended with a standard harmonized country stomper with an extended sonic meltdown in the middle. When they finished their official “set,” they decided to play one more song on the floor with Justin Vernon. The band used acoustic guitar and banjo to stumble through a traditional folk song that was both haunting and beautiful and fully utilized the bands great harmonies and Vernon’s chilling lead vocals. It was the kind of performance that was so natural and genuine that it brought smiles to every face in the club.

Megafaun & Justin Vernon

The show opened with local twee-pop band Now Now Every Children. The band, with an aesthetic that looks like an underage American Apparel ad, is one of the rising stars on the local Afternoon Records label. Their music is classic female fronted indie pop with a slight edge to it. They have some good songs and their stage confidence has risen significantly since the first time I saw them last year at their EP release show and are a local band that are definitely worth checking out.

[review by Josh Keller, photos by Jon Behm]

video by Brody McCoy

The Rosebuds: Official | MySpace | Wikipedia
Megafaun: MySpace
Now, Now Every Children: Official | MySpace

Also: (Interview with The Rosebuds)