Shearwater

Jamie Stewart (of Xiu Xiu)

Minus Story

Echo - June 18, 2007

Live Review by Adam McKibbin

Shearwater’s 2006 album Palo Santo has already enjoyed several lives.  First, the album was presented in its original incarnation, then, a year later, in a lavish and partially re-recorded double-disc edition on Matador.  Now, after a long separation period, West Coast audiences are getting the chance to get reacquainted with Shearwater as a live flesh-and-blood entity.

Here’s the thing:  regardless of which form you take them in, they’re pretty awesome.  As he’s previously mentioned to The Red Alert, frontman Jonathan Meiburg plays favorites when it comes to the Shearwater catalog; that is to say, he much prefers the new stuff to the old stuff.  Some of the old material was extremely powerful, too (newcomers, make a beeline for Winged Life), but does seem almost the work of a simpler, more innocent band.

On record, the contours are still generally softer, and, at their most delicate, the songs take on an almost spiritual reverence.  In person, Meiburg commands that same sort of pin-drop attention in quiet moments; there are plenty of strong indie frontmen, but Meiburg is in the rare club who legitimately qualify as good singers.  His song catalog continues to become increasingly diverse and dramatic, pushing off the maps of the usual genres and influences.

But Shearwater also like their performance catharsis in rock-and-roll form, which allows Thor Harris (drums) and Howard Draper (guitars) to receive some spotlight time.  Their Echo set included a few too many loud-louder-loudest jam-crescendos that are the bread-and-butter of far less interesting bands.  The night ended with Meiburg holding his guitar up and out to the crowd like he was Zakk Wylde.  If you’re looking for an emotionally straightforward, traditional or transparent band, you best look elsewhere.

And keep looking right past Jamie Stewart, obviously. Left to his own devices, the erstwhile Xiu Xiu leader was free of electronic embellishment and cut a lonesome figure alone with his guitar and his demons.  Wailing about God and salvation in his skewed, flamboyant yelp, Stewart had the sort of brief, arresting opening set that would ordinarily leave people saying “We’ll be hearing from this guy!”  Fortunately, we already have been. 

Minus Story have yet to establish themselves so firmly, and seemed a little unsure of how to proceed.  Playing in support of their solid new record My Ion Truss, the band defaulted to crashing indie-rock anthem mode in an attempt to win over the early audience.  But even on a night when they were outshone by atypically singular artists, their album standouts, like “The Way Beyond,” translated well and pointed toward a better tomorrow.  It’s surely a hell of a tour to be on if you’re looking for some tips on shining the light down your own path.