Last Tuesday night, Black Cat held the indie extravaganza also known as the Partisan Tour. The tour showcased four bands under the independent record label Partisan Records — Deer Tick; Dolorean; Chris Denny and the Natives; and Holy Sons.
The night started with a performance by Chris Denny and the Natives. Chris Denny’s Arkansas twang rang through the small room as he performed with a band compiled mostly of old high school friends, with the exception of their Canadian keyboardist. Denny sang songs from his old album, “Age Old Hunger,” as well as a few new songs from his upcoming album. The set was short and the audience thin since he was only the first act, but he put on a great show. He sang, “I’ve fallen in and out of believin’ and in and out of fame/but maybe that’s what keeps me sane/you can watch me shine.” And Chris Denny does shine.
| Check out a Deer Tick's music video for "Easy" |
Holy Sons and Dolorean are not to be forgotten. Both bands were laid back and grateful to be on the Partisan Label. While Holy Sons mostly stuck to just playing, Dolorean tried to interact more with the crowd. The lead singer gave a comical diatribe about why he’s not afraid to write love songs. They both geared everyone up for Deer Tick’s crazy set.
What really set the stage for the headlining act, though, was Johnny Corndawg’s short performance while Deer Tick set up. He had the whole crowd laughing as he showed off the back of his guitar that reads, “Keep your body healthy through exercise.” He also reiterated the earlier sentiment about what a pleasure it was to tour with the guys before introducing the band.
Deer Tick never ceased to entertain. From the first note of their a cappella rendition of “Dirty Dishes,” the five members had the audience entranced.
Deer Tick, from Providence, R.I., have recently been getting the recognition they deserve. Rolling Stone’s “Act to Watch” was started by John McCauley and joined by Dennis Ryan on drums, Christopher Dale Ryan on bass and Andrew Tobiasson and Ian Patrick O’Neil on guitar.
The band excelled in their performance. Their set consisted of antics that ranged from pulling people on stage during a Chuck Berry cover to McCauley flipping over O’Neil while playing a riff in “Art Isn’t Real (City of Sin)” to the energetic finale of “La Bamba.”
While Tobiasson was able to play only two songs with the band — the opening number and a song he wrote called “The Dance of Love” — the band still delivered. They were even joined by Chris Denny to do a cover of the Rolling Stones’ song, “Dead Flowers.”
To end the show, they played their last five songs one into the next, starting the finale off with one of their better-known songs, “Ashamed,” which separated the Tickheads from the virgin listeners, and “These Old Shoes,” a quirky ballad written by a friend of Corndawg. By the time of the last song, “La Bamba,” everyone was dancing and singing along, including Denny, who had begun an alcohol-induced swing dance with other audience members in front of the stage.
The conclusion to all this is that Deer Tick are a band to watch. They not only have the charisma to hook people live, but also the true range and talent to keep it interesting even on a record.
Partisan Records obviously has an ear for talent, as made clear by these four bands with great potential. Chris Denny’s talent cannot be ignored. As for Deer Tick, the band are a solution to anyone looking for a good show or just those in need of something new.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
