SOUNDTRACK: DARLINGSIDE-Tiny Desk Concert #739 (May 4, 2018).
I genuinely can’t believe that Darlingside hasn’t done a Tiny Desk Concert before as they are a perfect band for it–four guys playing primarily acoustic instruments, singing gorgeous harmonies around one microphone–perfect..
But here they are for the first time sounding somehow bigger than they do live (must be the small space and the surprisingly loud bass).
If you’re Darlingside and you have three albums out (but two that fans really love) and you can only play three songs, what do you choose? You must choose something from Birds Say, of course, but what?
They chose “The God of Love” one of several gorgeous songs on the album and a showcase for Don Mitchell’s 12 string guitar and Auyon Mukharji’s violin.
I did not know that
“The God of Loss” was inspired by the Arundhati Roy book The God of Small Things, and by the main character’s attempts to preserve humanity in the face of competing forces.
As is standard practice, Harris Paseltiner give the opening introduction. He speaks of being up since five and drinking decaf and eating a delicious quiche. Don quips, “don’t worry you only have to hear about Harris’ morning in minute detail, not he rest of us.”
And then it’s time to move on to the new album. The current single “The Best of the Best of Times” allows them to show off the new electronic gizmo that adds sounds to the album as well as Auyon’s mandolin. It’s also really catchy, and Don throws in all kinds of unexpected dissonance with that little electronic thingy.
Auyon introduces the band by saying how they are similar to Bob Boilen (I did a little research on the internet).
Don: Tiny Desk Concert is named after a band that Bob was part of (Tiny Desk Unit) with a friend named Michael Barron. Don has a friend named Michael with whom he plays music (Michael Cohen, different Michael, same idea).
Don: has a friend name Michael who whom he played music. (Michael Cohen, different Michael, same Idea)
Harris: Bob grew up around Italian people and uses his hands to speak. So does Harris.
Dave: thinks about the sound of words and how good it feels to say things and Bob’s “stage name” Bob Boilen is very pleasant to say so they probably gave that in common.
Auyon: Bob sometimes wears bolo ties I also sometimes wear bolo ties.
The end the set with Harris on cello and Auyon on violin playing the gorgeous, melancholy “Extra life” which
starts off the album with these lines:
“It’s over now
The flag is sunk
The world has flattened out
Under the under grow
I’ve always found
A level further down
As I begin to lose hold of
The fiery flowerbeds above
Mushroom clouds reset the sky
Extralife”
After the string-filled opening Harris jumps back to guitar and Auyon is back on mandolin while Dave Senft is playing the little electronic gadget this time
The opening is nearly a capella so that when the band kicks in, the full instrumentation on the second verse, it feels huge.
Through these end-of-time lyrics comes deep appreciation for what we have and what’s worth holding on to. And through it all Darlingside’s humor shines, with in-between chatter about quiche and common bonds. Don’t miss this band’s music. This is the perfect introduction to Darlingside, right here.
Every time I’ve heard them they’ve been great. The only downside to this show is that it’s so short.
[READ: March 30, 2018] “Find the Edges”
This was a very sad, rather short story about death and a family disintegrating.
The central metaphor of putting a puzzle together was really effective without being obvious.
His wife loved jigsaw puzzles. She always said to find the edges and work your way in. But the kitchen table, which usually held her puzzles was now filled with papers, bills for wreaths and the like. Also on the table was a pie from the Rendons next store. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 