Most people probably think of the Portland band from the 90’s when they hear “Pond”. But to me the true Pond consists of the psych rock legends from Australia. So as I sheepishly waved to an approaching Jay Watson (member of Pond and Tame Impala) at the Tractor Tavern bar on October 28th, I was speechless and admittedly star struck. I need to clarify a few things. I don’t get weird about seeing famous people. I don’t like idolizing celebrities. But the way the merch lady laughed at my shocked face and proceeding silence that night said differently. I soon realized I would have to shake that feeling of star struck sheepishness as I saw that the members of Pond were roaming the venue and cheering on the openers from the crowd. So as the night progressed and I drank a beer with Shiny Joe Ryan (Pond guitarist) and talked to Jay Watson about his side project, Gum, my sheepishness was replaced with admiration. These guys were really cool dudes, and they were about to put on an awesome show.
Openers Peter Bibby and Doctorpuss both played well and I thoroughly enjoyed their performances. Peter Bibby offered a more bare bones performance with Bibby’s scratchy voice at the forefront. Doctorpuss played a fun set that was surprisingly punk. They had an especially entertaining stage presence and their bassist lead singer was hilarious. He rocked a Sonics jersey, which was a nice gesture from an Aussi band. You could tell why both groups were opening for Pond, as both definitely had roots in psych-rock, but each put a unique spin on it to create an original sound. I was disappointed when both openers left the stage, but that sentiment was fleeting.
Pond came on and delivered a mind-blowing set. Drummer Cam was no where to be found so Jay Watson filled in on drums and the French man Julien Barbagallo who plays drums for Tame Impala took on bass duties. Nick and Shiny Joe handled the guitar work with Jamie Terry on the keys. However, they are all multi-instrumentalists who switch around, so things might have been completely different on another night. Most of their set consisted of songs from their newest release, Hobo Rocket. However the set was full of pleasant surprises. They played a Mink Mussel Creek song (a band Nick, Julian and Kevin Parker from Tame Impala were in) as well as “Fantastic Explosions of Time” which was a favorite of mine from Ponds release Beard, Wives, Denim. The set was full of jam tangents and sweet breakdowns and the band flexed their musical talent throughout.
As the crowd chanted for an encore, I wondered what songs they would play, having worked through most of the fan favorites already. I was not to be disappointed though, as all three bands that had played that night came back on stage. There wasn’t enough space for everyone to have an instrument, but those stuck on clapping and tambourine duty danced around the stage as if they were the main attraction. They played a fun groove heavy song I had never heard before. Alternating guitar solos whipped the crowd up into a frenzy that was only escalated further when Nick Albrook (the front man of Pond) and the front man of Doctopus stage dove together into a crowd that I did not think could support a stage dive. They quickly proved me wrong. The night ended much like it started, as the members of Pond exited the stage and left me speechless.
Geran Landen / Fond of Pond / KXSU Music Director