Concert Review: Shearwater and Shellac, 8/10/09

August 11, 1:57 PMChicago Music Scene ExaminerJeff Fuldauer

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Shellac's 2007 album, Excellent Italian Greyhound

Monday night’s free concert in the park showcased the wide range and quality of sound for which the Jay Pritzker Pavilion has become so famous. Two contrasting acts played in front of an enthusiastic crowd, making for a concert rivaling any of the previous weekend’s Lollapalooza shows. Whereas many distinct bands wouldn’t pair well together in the same show, Shearwater and Shellac put on impressive performances.

Shearwater, a Texas quartet that is as unique as a musical troupe gets, kicked off the night with wavy, celestial sounds. Along with dueling synths and a lone traditional guitar, the five members interchangeably played drums, stand-up electric bass, xylophones, banjo, a glockenspiel, dulcimer, melodica and an unidentifiable homemade string instrument. The art-rock that ensued was a combination of changing time signatures with alternating abandon and restrained tempos, swirling and soaring before crashing back together. Flashes of dread and menace pervaded the set with “Century Eyes,” “Rooks,” and “Lost Boys.”

Before the final song of their set, Jonathan Meiburg, a member of Texan folk outfit Okkervil River and Shearwater vocalist, dedicated the group’s coda to the tarantula spider wasp, an eclectic dedication perfectly suiting the band. For those (myself included) who have no idea what the tarantula spider wasp is, Meiburg was polite enough to explain that it expertly preys on tarantulas in an extremely rare fashion. “It’s the first time I’ve ever felt sorry for the tarantula,” Meiburg exclaimed, adding that these wasps pose no threat to humans and thus, coexisted perfectly during the band’s stint in El Paso, Texas.

Much as the duo of Shearwater and spider wasps coexisted nicely, so did the unlikely pairing of Shearwater and the headlining act of the night, Shellac. Formed in Chicago in 1992, the trio of noise rockers filled in nicely as a late addition to the bill. Although drastically different from the previous set, and at a volume three-times louder, the band tore through hits from 2007’s Excellent Italian Greyhound and 100 hurts.

Bassist Bob Weston apologized to fans “who were expecting someone else,” when it became obvious Shellac’s deafening sound cleared out the older crowd.  But it was clear the majority of those in attendance poured into Millennium Park explicitly to see the hometown trio. Midway through the set, Shellac took questions from the audience, as is typical from the band. The first question, “Why are you so awesome?” summed things up nicely.

What was remarkable was the quality of sound. Having witnessed several outdoor concert festivals this summer, it was evident the sound for two completely different bands was unblemished – something that can’t be said for Lollapalooza or Pitchfork set ups. Both ethereal art-rock and beyond-loud noise rock sounded crisp and clean over the Pavilion speaker system. Whereas many outdoor sound stages would have ruined one of the two drastically different bands, both sets were enhanced by phenomenal resonance and state-of-the-art sound engineering. If you have yet to experience the jaw-dropping sights and sounds that are the Pritzker Pavilion, be sure to check out the remaining dates for free Monday night concerts below.

Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays is a distinctive concert series produced to display both unfamiliar artists and groundbreaking rock mainstays. Performing at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in downtown Chicago, each show is emceed by a performer from the pioneering organization, Young Chicago Authors. Two more series dates remain:

Otto and NOMO, Monday, August 17, 6:30pm

Red Red Meat and Rural Alberta Advantage, Monday, August 24, 6:30pm