December 10, 2013

SWANS

        “The Swans are playing Brooklyn? Yes!” This, I respond when my friend asks if I would like to go to their show at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. Swans have impressed me for some time and since their more recent reformation in 2010, I actually have a chance to see them. Swans are difficult for me to describe especially considering that they formed during the 80s, which is ripe with overtly dancey Synth-Pop. Think Cyndi Lauper and you’ve got it wrong. Swans are dark, heavy and minimal and were part of the underground No Wave scene in Post-Punk 80s New York. Now, they are a band that has reunited with fans old and new, who are anxious to hear these veterans of the Rock world perform once again.
        I wasn’t sure what to think about The Music Hall of Williamsburg. I thought that surely Swans would need a bigger venue, but ultimately I think this venue was just right for them: plenty of floor space along with a second floor balcony for late-comers or the low-key. And the sound, it was excellent! At no point was I distracted by a technical difficulty or instruments not balancing. I sat up in the balcony with my friend and was glad that people on the second floor were as into it as those closest to the stage. The audience seemed to be a wash of twenty-somethings to those in their 40s, and all were dressed pretty casually or down to earth. There was not a clear stereotype or fashion for this audience- like all black, long hair, or whatever. As I peered down from the balcony, I noticed the sea of people swaying and nodding their heads to the incessant beat. This I expect for Swans. I would be surprised, and I think a little disappointed, if a mosh pit started up or fighting ensued. I expect an audience that is completely committed to listening to the band, and not needing some other activity for entertainment or distraction.
        As all eyes were on the band, they played and played for hours. The lead singer, Michael Gira, didn’t say a whole lot except to thank everyone for coming. Other than that, they simply just played. Some of their songs can be 20-30 minutes long. So, a concert with only a handful of songs can last well into the night, as this one did. With minimal dancing or movement from the band, who dresses actually pretty nicely for this kind of music, with Michael Gira in all black as he seems to dress for performances (from what I’ve seen on YouTube) and the others a mix of half dressed to nice button ups. The music can speak for itself and is played without the assistance of light shows, theatrics or costumes. There is no video even, which makes it feel pretty low tech in a way, even though the instruments are heavily mic’d and amped with a variety of pedals. Even the bass drum was mic’d! And I mean a classical bass drum not the kick drum on the drumset.
        For me, the drummer was the star of the show. Normally, I think all eyes are on the lead singer in a rock band, but what I heard in the live show was this really thick guitar-and-bass mass of sound with drums the only force that could penetrate that mass. Vocals were accompaniment to that most of the time. What was exceptional was the beginning of the song, “Coward.” The drums and bass started as a duo with a really clean, punchy riff that, for as heavy as their sound was, seemed to pop out and sound clean and catchy. This continued for a long time, so what started as accessible is beaten into the ground with the other instruments joining over time- very synchronized and thick. Eventually, Gira joins and the lyrics are dark and twisted, with Gira just shouting rhythmic outbursts at times: “Coward… Put your knife in me…“ This song, more than the others, seemed to pulse the walls and get into your body. It’s a song from their 1986 album, Holy Money. It seems to be a fan favorite as many people began to move more immediately upon hearing it. I think it captures their sound the best, since it is dark and minimal, and yet seems to be open to improvisation for a live performance.
        For a live Rock performance, Swans were incredible. I can’t say that I was surprised, but I did think that they were really, really good. For a few hours, they created a sound world that the audience was immersed in. That’s how it felt to me; that we were part of the sound- one unit. I really enjoyed their playing and felt that they were really into their music. It’s interesting to me as a classical player to hear a metal band that performs much like a Classical ensemble with lots of discreet cueing while playing, great execution, very little crowd banter, no gratuitous distractions with bowing at the end. All the while, they were still very “into” what they were doing. This I found refreshing, would most definitely see them again, and enjoyed listening/watching with a good friend.

-Anonymous, February 2013