After some time in show hiatus, Okkervil River brought their alt-country, emo-fied indie-folk to Castle Clinton (which is literally the gutted edifice of a castle) in Battery Park last night. The River 2 River Festival show had a loose feel — as most any free summer show does — and it suited Okkervil’s bleeding heart jams well. Alternating between brush-stick snare shuffles and outright backbeat, drummer and band alike sat ready with all the dynamics Will Sheff needed to bleat his point home.
Sheff sees his melodies in rough contours, not fixed endpoints. With each aria he’s after something beyond the notes, meandering microtones off course. And I dig that. ‘Cause when it’s on the line, he’ll pierce his money note and remind you. The passion comes in the imperfection.
“For Real” was this aesthetic in action, and it fucking rocked. With the breeze picking up off the river, Okkervil gave us a classic summer moment. “Black” brought even more, as did “Black Sheep Boy” and “A Stone.”
But on “The President Is Dead,” it was all in the lyrics. This bit of “hypothetical fiction” wasn’t the inflammatory rhetoric the title would suggest. That’d be too easy, like singing on pitch. Instead, Will used a president’s assassination to tease the small moments that define our lives (the vivid recollection of the little things you were doing when something so big went down) and the human tendency to provide a rose tint to the emanations of tragedy. Suddenly this slain person wasn’t such a bad guy. At least, not that anyone was willing to admit. In avoiding the politics, he nailed the humanity. And all this for free on a Thursday night!
Enjoy this track, from Okkervil to you.
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I missed them at Iota in Arlington last year. Dammit. Birchmire here I come as soon as the tickets are listed online. God, I’ve been wanting to see them live for a long time.
Dammit. I was looking at the wrong thing. I meant Ottobar in Baltimore in October.
for some reason i think of okkervil as the new toad the wet sprocket. i have no reason why? am i all alone here?
No. You are not done here. Please come back so I can kill you. And then realize how easy that was and want to kill you again.
There’s some video of the show over on my site. And ryspace.com has recordings of all the songs they played!!!
TOAD THE WET AWFULNESS?
what are you thinking?
and how could you even say such a thing?
blasphamey…
if that is even the correct spelling.
shame on you.
to shame.
also…perfect review stereogum.
Thanx for the listen, and hey, it didnt even cost me a red paper clip
Although I think they’ve got some nice songs, okkervil river is a little pansy. it’s something that some frat boy with an acoustic guitar is showing his school crush to get some ass.
or…are they an emo fat girl’s crossover band?
These guys are so fucking amazing. I saw them that night @ Castle Clinton. I never even heard of them, and when i saw them that night..I thought they were just so amazing. Then i noticed Will with some fans..and i wanted to meet him. I met him.
w000t!