Concert Review: Frog Eyes
An Overview of the Indie Rock Quartet's Stellar Show at Bard College
Canadian indie band Frog Eyes played a free show at Bard College on March 11th. Despite many limiting factors, the band managed to surpass the hype set by their success.
Frog Eyes has released such a multitude of groundbreaking albums in the past 5 years (including Tears of the Valedictorian, whose single “Bushels” gained significant attention) that the band could hypothetically rely only on their success in the indie world in giving an unbelievable concert. Thankfully, they instead decide to put their natural talent and absurd amounts of energy to good use, and the 4-piece experimental indie rock outfit ends up giving live performances that are simply unforgettable. Even when the show is free to attend, held in a garage, and after the band has flown into the United States from Barcelona, Frog Eyes still fails to disappoint with their live shows.
Why Do They Rock So Hard?
If it wasn’t obvious enough when listening to their music, Frog Eyes puts copious amounts of energy into their work. Although no comparison can do them justice, their sound has most often been compared to the distinctive vocals of freak folk legends Animal Collective or Wolf Parade. And it’s true; Carey Mercer’s singing style is rough, often breaking down into animalistic yelps during his vocals. But combined with the beautiful flow established by their piano and contrasted with their jagged guitars and drumming, Frog Eyes fails to make only one sound. This makes their music instantly recognizable and leaves much space for improvisation.
When they are live, this energy comes unhinged and the band lets it loose on the audience. While the other members of the band pound out their respective melodies, Carey Mercer goes into a trancelike state which can only be described as a near-religious experience. The power displayed by the band live, even after being jet-lagged on a Tuesday night, is enough to wake the dead and it never failed to get the audience moving.
Always Room to Improv
The most distinguishing factor of this concert by Canada’s indie underdogs was undoubtedly their uncanny ability to make every song seem new. Although they did introduce a new song, “Style by Doctor Robert”, their already-released material was greatly enhanced by the band’s utilization of improvisation. Most noticeable was the introduction track to Tears of the Valedictorian, “Idle Songs”. Instead of the 2-and-a-half minute song that appears on the album, the band extended it to about 10 minutes, astounding the audience with their ability to create new material from the old. Improvisation on this level is rarely seen by contemporary bands.
Most noticeable about the individual improvisation was Mercer’s strange singing style. Whereas in the studio he tends to control his affinity for jump multiple octaves between different syllables, his singing style was truly uncorked live. There were no empty gaps in the vocals; from the beginning to the end of a song, Mercer would howl, yelp, and stutter his way through as if possessed. Although this was certainly a strange tactic, it fit the style which Frog Eyes has claimed, and it certainly complimented the efforts given by the other musicians.
Frog Eyes’ concerts leave a distinctive imprint on the minds of the audience; there can be no mistake about this. When they came to Bard College they were clearly tired, yet once the music started playing, all signs of exhaustion were lost. The concert adequately spanned the band’s discography, showcased their unique talent and energetic tendencies, and kept the audience entertained. From the introduction to the encore, Carey Mercer and company completely enthralled the audience with a show that was nearly perfect.
