Hanging out with David Bazan
(photo cred: Mike McDougal)
We all have that one friend who always manages to pull out a guitar at get-togethers, as semi-circles of friends form around them for a mini performance of old cover songs, inviting sing-a-longs, or something new and unique. But not all of us are lucky enough to be able to be a part of a semi circle around someone as talented as the scruffy Mr. David Bazan. After all, it isn’t every day that the mastermind behind Pedro the Lion does a tour of solely intimate house shows, with only forty tickets sold per house. I was one of the lucky few that got a ticket after hovering over my computer mouse until the tickets went on sale, only to be sold out twenty minutes later.
He sat at the edge of a long couch in the cement-floored loft, embracing his acoustic guitar, as the city lights of downtown Los Angeles glowed through the window behind him. Bazan opened by saying that he’d mostly be playing new material from his anticipated album, Curse Your Branches, coming out August 25th. Having never seen Bazan live before, I was slightly disappointed that he only played a couple of Pedro the Lion songs, but it was refreshing to hear something fresh and new without a band behind him. With a raspy voice and a squint in his left eye, he sang in the acoustically accommodating loft, as everyone sat staring and listening, as young children would sit around an elder, gazing upward in awe and astonishment.
What really made this performance unique was the way David Bazan paused between each song to ask if anyone had any questions. At first it seemed as though he wanted people to ask about his music, but when he asked the group what their favorite movies were, it was obvious he was just a down to earth dude wanting to get to know his fans. He even told a story about paying for some program that taught him sweet dance moves, and how his wife walked in on him attempting the moves and failing miserably. The echoing laughter brought such fantastic energy that added to the already radiant loft. While playing a bit of a downer song, the host’s Dachshund interrupted the performance, and as Bazan laughed he said how difficult it was to sing about death when a cute dog is chilling next to you. His last song was the cover “Hallelujah,” initially written by Leonard Cohen, but covered by many, including Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley. Bazan’s brutal and honest songwriting makes him one of most well rounded artists of today, and being able to see him perform his trade with his overwhelming raw emotion in such a setting allowed for a truly exceptional musical experience.
Tags: David Bazan, Pedro the Lion
