Juan Wauters: Live At Baby's All Right

New York – It was a dark, snowy Sunday evening that capped off the weekend; but inside at Baby’s All Right, Brooklynites gladly welcomed a brightly lit glimpse into singer-songwriter Juan Wauters’ mind. The night celebrated the release of Wauters’ solo LP, N.A.P. North American Poetry, and a tight mass of fans filed in to commemorate the event.

Standing in the packed venue, Spanish speakers were audible throughout the crowd. This is unsurprising, considering this act’s backstory. When Wauters’ father, Alberto, emigrated to NYC from Uruguay to work in a factory, he paved the way for the U.S. to receive a truly stellar music-maker. Juan Wauters moved to Queens in 2002 to join his father. In the years that followed, Wauters came of age in this churning city, and started to soundtrack his transition with some seriously good music.

Longtime vocalist and guitarist for the Queens-based, garage rock/psych group The Beets, Wauters emerged with his first solo venture on February 4^th via Captured Tracks. The material he presents as a soloist is less heavy hitting than The Beets’ sound, and skirts the line between alt-folk and world-rock. The cast of characters who share the stage for Wauters’ live set is international like the Herald Tribune. Vocalist Carmelle Safdie is Israeli, multi-instrumentalist Tall Juan Zaballa is Argentinean, percussionist Chie Mori is Japanese and flutist Amanda Rodi is Mexican.

Also on board the Wauters brigade is Matt Volz, who is in charge of artwork and performance visuals. Volz’s contribution merits note, as his work made for a singular concert experience. Before the headliner emerged around 11pm, a crew went to work installing three large, original flags with patchwork homages to Queens, America and what looked like a guerilla wrestler. Four large light bulbs were affixed to each of the standing mics, and Wauters came on donning a turtleneck and dark shades.

As the band struck into the jangly “Let Me Hip You To Something,” the bulbs began flashing in an aggressive and ceaseless sequence. The crowd was pitched into total darkness every other second and the light show continued throughout the entire performance. This, unfortunately, made it very difficult to score a decent photo. However, it may be for the best, because the live set is an experience best served in person. What followed, other than a blatant disregard for potentially induced seizures, was a high energy ramble through versions of Wauters’ latest, including standout variations on “Lost In Soup,” “Escucho Mucho,” “Water” and “Ay Ay Ay.”

There is a lyrical narrative which pervades this album that is inherently playful, to say the least. Tracks like “Goo” and “A Tall Mall Will Fall” betray the fun-loving demeanor at the core of Wauters’ work. This man packages his slanted sense of humor masterfully, and the record he ultimately delivers is sonically striking. This record is a quiet kind of cannonball, it’s a bit confusing at first, but in time the ripple effect it creates is far-reaching.

What initially appears cursory and flippant ultimately reveals a depth of feeling, the kind that was clearly developed by big life transitions. Wauters strings his vocals along in crooning, slow-swelling harmonies, with an accent plastered proudly across every track. His affected English that spans the album is also peppered with lyrics sung in Spanish, which add to the melodic, stream-of-consciousness nature of the LP.

His first video, for “Water,” feels like a homemade array of what a trip back to Uruguay must feel like. Wauters wanders from scene to scene, accomplishing very little but assumedly absorbing quite a bit, like a peak at the world through a pair of bicultural ray-bans. Much like many of Wauters’ lyrics, this is video is not complex. Yet, it is endearing for its simple sincerity, its unapologetic take on the beautiful inertia born of transplantation in a distant land, and for Wauters’ evident lust for life.

In addition to commemorating the release of Juan Wauters’ LP, the evening was the kickoff event for loads more shows to come. Wauters is about to hit the road to open for fellow Captured Tracks artist Mac DeMarco (who we featured last month). Upcoming collaborations will also include shows alongside Amen Dunes, Tonstartssbandht and (impressively) the Vivian Girls’ sold-out farewell show on March 1^st. As if this weren’t enough, Wauters will also make an appearance at SXSW this year, so be on the lookout for this act when it hits your neck of the woods.

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Liz Rowley

Born in Mexico and raised in Toronto, Jerusalem and Chicago by a pair of journalists, Liz comes to BestNewBands.com with an inherited love of writing. After discovering a niche for herself in music journalism and radio while at Bates College in Maine, she always keeps a running playlist of new music to soundtrack her place in the world. Liz is passionate about helping dedicated, talented musicians gain the exposure they deserve. A recent transplant to Brooklyn from Hawaii, she is plagued by an incurable case of wanderlust and cursed with an affinity for old maps and old things like typewriters and vintage books. She adores photography and running and is very good with plants. Having come of age in Chicago, Wilco speaks to her soul. If she could be anything, she would be a cat in a Murakami novel.