Seattle – There was no better spot to beat the heat on Friday than Capitol Hill’s underground venue Barboza, where Peter Matthew Bauer delivered a heavy indie rock performance.
The Walkmen bassist/organist (who has affirmed that the group is on “extreme hiatus”) has kicked off a summer tour to promote the release of his debut solo album, Liberation!, which was released June 24. From his years of experience, Bauer’s ability to put on a solid rock and roll show came as no surprise, despite “starting from scratch” and having “just put this band together,” he acknowledged Friday night. His stylish showmanship and obvious musical talents wooed the crowd.
Bauer and his band took the stage with Liberation! opener “I Was Born in an Ashram” (Bauer did indeed spend his childhood years living in New York ashrams), whose polyrhythms, washed out guitar, and euphoric vocals of “let’s leave it behind…the future is ours” forecasted a set that would be personal, spiritual, and painted with exotic aural tones.
The album’s title track kicked off with great rolling percussion and bass, which lead into the backing female vocalists wailing: “Liberation!” Some have perceived the lyric’s declaration as freedom from The Walkmen, but Bauer has refuted that claim. Rather, they seem to be calling out various beliefs on the afterlife: “What does the voice in your head say?…I’ll still wait for the promised land.”
“Shiva the Destroyer” saw the female vocalists artfully using clap sticks and guitarist Skyler Skjelset (of Fleet Foxes) utilizing reverb, giving the sound great form. Bauer’s vocals became more nasal on this slower track, reminiscent of Tom Petty.
Introducing the next song, Bauer launched into a story about an airplane ride. “I sat next to a man whose life was falling apart,” he said. “He told me, ‘My wife is leaving me,’ and I’m like, ‘Aw man, not this,’ and started to put my headphones on. Then he says, ‘My wife is becoming a scientologist, and has labeled me as oppressive’…and I’m like, this is gonna be a hell of a story! So the song’s called ‘Scientology Airplane Conversations.’” As the audience laughed, one man shouted, “Where’s Tom Cruise?”, thus inciting some humorous banter between the band and the crowd.
Before starting up “Philadelphia Raga,” Bauer dedicated the track to his friends back home in Pennsylvania. With a beautiful acoustic guitar intro by the frontman himself, Skjelset began to play off him, using reverb and some discordance to add dimension and create a bittersweet sound. Following with “Fortune Tellers,” the band used acoustic and distorted electric guitar, clap sticks, and layered vocals to make for a nicely textured piece, which lead many audience members to bob their heads.
Moving into “Latin America Ficciones” with strong rhythm guitar, pounding bass drum, and raw vocals, Bauer turned his sound from indie rock to pure rock and roll. While the recording is one of the heavier songs on the record, the track translated even better live with intense energy from all band members, who were jumping all around the stage by the end. Ending with “You Are the Chapel,” which also closes the album, Bauer stormed through strong percussion, powerful lead vocals, full backing chorus, and a soaring melody made for a memorable culmination of the night.
The evening had kicked off with Seattle’s Japanese Guy, comprised of Skyler Skjelset on guitar, Chris Icasiano on drums, and Andrew J.S. on keys and saxophone. An experimental, avant-garde group, the trio’s set was a soaring performance filled with noise, free jazz, heavy percussion, and more, with each element seeming to suspend in the air after song’s close. Adding guest Morgan Henderson (also of Fleet Foxes, and The Cave Singers) on woodwinds during several songs, Japanese Guy was a sonically explosive experience.
Caitlin Peterkin
With degrees in journalism and music, Caitlin’s written for Paste Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and MajoringinMusic.com. She loves cheese, laughing at GIFs of corgis, road trip sing-alongs, and connecting with people over good beer and good music.
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