Recap: Deerhunter worked through rough times for a recharged set at Union Transfer

All photos by Chris Sikich | countfeed.tumblr.com

After twelve songs entranced the Union Transfer crowd into 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, Deerhunter’s leader, the charismatic and sometimes confrontational Bradford Cox, put the show on pause. With the sorrow relating to the death of a close friend on Friday weighing heavily on his mind, Cox went on a lengthy diatribe putting down, among other things, a “bored 12 year old” in the front row who was wearing a Feelies shirt, one of his guitarists for looking like Henry Thomas in E.T., and the show itself for being a “2.5 out of a 5.” Musical accompaniment for this ten minute “interlude” included interpretations of “Operation,” “Happy Birthday,” and the national anthem. This could have easily derailed any performance and alienated the crowd. But the extreme majority of a packed Philly crowd stayed put, recharging Cox and company to bring their self-proclaimed “nihilistic” music to a proper conclusion. Drenched in moody lighting for much of the night, Deerhunter spotlighted their 2013 work Monomania, with the standout performance being of “T.H.M.” There was enough doubt of an encore that a crowd member even jumped on the stage and requested one more song before being ushered offstage. Deerhunter did not disappoint, launching into one of their best tracks, “Helicopter.” As suggested by the faux obi strip packed with Monomania, Deerhunter lived up to the file under suggestion of “nocturnal garage,” leaving the late night crowd with a satisfying, if uneven rock experience.

Setlist
Earthquake
Neon Junkyard
Don’t Cry
Revival
Desire Lines
Blue Agent
Dr. Glass
The Missing
Microcastle
Hazel St.
T.H.M.
Nothing Ever Happened
Operation/Happy Birthday/National Anthem
Sleepwalking
Back to the Middle
Monomania

Encore:
Helicopter
Cover Me (Slowly)
Agoraphobia