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San Franciscans break San Fran
Do you ever have those moments at shows where you feel like a Guitar Hero crowd NPC? That is, egoless, blissed out in a sea of like minds, arms pumping and heads banging in unison, collectively in utter awe of a band. It’s a vibe that manifests rarely and one I’ve not felt in a hot minute, but seeing Deafheaven shred San Fran last Thursday gave me flashes of that nirvana.
The show was sold out, packed to the rafters with the usual suspects. Doc Marten-hooved alties, metal heads, goths, bogans, and ne’er-do-wells of all ages. Some buddies and I arrived 10 minutes early hoping to beat the line, but the line beat us back - it was proper long. Alas it was the wrong line to worry about, because anyone who wanted merch had to contend with dozens of eager fans desperate to cop some dope tees.
Nothing (the band) was set to open but because of some pesky visa issues they couldn’t make it. Thankfully, local doomgaze trio Libbianski stepped in and killed it. I’d already seen Libbianski in April and knew what to expect, but this time round they showcased even more contrast between slow riffy jams and high octane Pōneke black metal tracks like Pigtails. Loved the dichotomy between the femme wailing and masculine guttural vocals, also shoutout to drummer Tom LaHatte who was really, really fun to watch.
Normally when an opener finishes, gig goers disperse to yarn with mates, buy a drink, punch a dart outside, et al. I was bewildered at how the audience stayed glued to their spots in static anticipation for the entire switch-over period, eagerly awaiting the San Francisco-based blackgaze quintet, Deafheaven. Once the soundies finished setting up, stashing a dozen water bottles around the stage, a Twin Peaks-esque synth filtered in and an ASMR worthy femme voice softly rang out. She questioned the audience on loneliness and existence (their new album is called Lonely People With Power, go figure).
While pondering what it all meant, Deafheaven took to the stage. With all five dressing in all black, everyone knew we were in for some turbulence. Frontman George Clark acted as our infernal conductor, mechanically positioning his hands and arms to inform the audience that the drums were ratcheting up or to signal an impending phat riff. Clark soothsaid the band's chaos while delivering his signature strained, throat-scathing screams.
Good bands confidently play live but great bands add stagecraft; it’s a preventive salve for any possible monotony. Deafheaven weren’t just playing their new record though, their performance fleshed out Lonely People With Power’s story through sonic interludes. Church bells and Lynchian ambience rang between songs – and just as it was coming together, the band abruptly left.
For a moment, we all thought the party was over, but the band merely wanted us hyped for the final act where Deafheaven turned into Deafhell. With piercing blood red and white light strobing behind them, Clark and co. went into a full satanic panic death metal spiral. Here is where I felt like a Guitar Hero crowd NPC, especially when they played Dream House in its 10-minute glory and, accordingly, the mosh was pumping full throttle.
Deafheaven manoeuvre between soft and heavy with grace, stretching these boundaries to their logical conclusion while maintaining an emotional core. Lonely People With Power does this effortlessly, combining the gnarliest elements from their 2013 standout record Sunbather with more gentle passages from 2021’s Infinite Granite. It was an absolute pleasure to see Deafheaven play Lonely People With Power live, I’ll be chasing the high from this show for some time.
Credit: Zac Hoffman
Credit: Zac Hoffman
