I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: August 12, 2023] Dehd

I only know Dehd from one song that WXPN plays a lot called “Bad Love” (although I didn’t know that was the name of it).

I also didn’t know a thing about them.  Turns out they are a trio from Chicago and have been around since 2015.  The three are Emily Kempf bass and (most) vocals, Jason Balla guitar and (some) vocals, and Eric McGrady drums.

Emily Kempf is a fascinating person in her own right–a look for her history will turn up lots of interesting tidbits.

I loved the way she stood, upright and almost defiant on stage playing bass and singing with whoops and trills as needed.  Meanwhile, Jason Balla, with his neon green guitar jumped around all over the stage–a perfect companion.

Eric McGrady was on a tiny drumkit at the side of the stage.  The lighting was such that he was never really illuminated–I never got a good picture of him.  I actually thought the band was a duo and he was a guest drummer.   But I enjoyed the simplistic way that McGrady drummed.  He had a snare and a floor tom and some electronic gear.

Dehd songs are simple and the drums are too.  And McGrady kept things moving perfectly.  The songs are so simple in fact, that Balla could run over and grab a tambourine and the echo on the bass kept the whole song sounding full.

They had great stage presence.  And when one of Emily’s cords was causing distortion that “sounded like a demon,” they quickly dealt with the noise and got back to “their full time job.”

I enjoyed their whole set–short, simple, dancey rock songs.  And as I was listening to them I realized that they were exactly the kind of band that I like live but would probably never listen to on record.  The songs are too simplistic for me to really enjoy unless they band is playing them in front of me.  Or something.

I was looking forward to seeing Dehd although I just noticed that the day after my show Indigo de Souza was opening and i have been trying to see her for years.

Still, Dehd was fun and I’m glad I got to see them play “Bad Love.”

1. Window ≅
2. Nobody ♣
3. Loner ♣
4. Stars ≅
5. Drip Drop ♣
6. Clear ≅ 
7. Letter ♣
8. Wild ‰
9. Flying ♣
10. Bad Love ≅
11. Flood ♣ [abandoned after technical issues]
12. Lucky ‰
13. No Difference ≅
14. Dog Days [new]
15. Desire ♣

≅ Blue Skies (2022)
♣ Flower of Devotion (2020)
‰ Water (2019)