Five years ago, when I told my high school friends excitedly that I was seeing Deakin live, they replied with, “Dan Deacon’s coming to town?” I had to explain to them that no, I wasn’t seeing Dan Deacon, but was instead seeing Deakin from Animal Collective’s solo tour. This name confusion has a history, as it turns out. Dan Deacon actually requested that AnCo’s Deakin spell his name “Deakin” to avoid confusion between the two Baltimore based musicians (Dan Deacon even opened for Animal Collective during one of their tours). This Friday, I am in fact seeing Dan Deacon, and guess who’s opening for him? Prince Rama, the exact same band that opened for AnCo’s Deakin when I saw him play in my hometown of Boulder, CO, back when I was 14.
I’m wracking my brain for ways to describe Dan Deacon’s music, and still feel that no descriptors will be at all adequate to convey the eccentric, eclectic sound of his music. Deacon cites influences as diverse as The Talking Heads, Devo, and contemporary classical pianist Conlon Noncarrow as some of his biggest influences, and works as both a composer and electronic musician. His music is freaky, catchy, goofy, and irreverent, and I feel is best summed up by the cover art for his newest LP, Gliss Riffer, pictured below.
If that doesn’t give you enough of an idea of Dan Deacon’s sound (as I’m sure it doesn’t), here, have a taste of one of his new tracks off Gliss Riffer.
If you’re as mesmerized, intrigued, and/or confused as I am with Dan Deacon’s classic electronic absurdist fuckery, be sure to check out Neumos on Friday night. To my high school comrades, yes, Dan Deacon is coming to town. It’s gonna be a freaky night.
Dan Deacon will be playing an all ages show at Neumos on May 8th; doors open at 8 p.m. Prince Rama and Ben O’Brien will be the featured openers.
Dylan Gnatz // Vandelay Industries // Ex-Disciple of the Eternal Bowl Cut // KXSU Staff Writer