PHOTOS / VIDEOS / REVIEW: WASHED OUT @ One Eyed Jacks – 10/18/11

Washed Out @ One Eyed Jacks - 10/18/11 | Photo © Jimmy Grotting

Last night, One Eyed Jacks was awash in ambient tones and heavily reverb’d vocals as Perry, GA’s own Washed Out delivered a live band presentation of their cloud-like musical fare to a mesmerized crowd of twentysomethings. The stage was littered with Nord synthesizers, drum pads, an iPad, keyboards, live instruments, a few percussive toys and all of the requisite cords that accompany any electronically-infused performance. As a huge fan of this year’s debut LP Within and Without (on my short list for album of the year), I was curious to see how the headphones-friendly, droning sounds of the record would translate on-stage. Instead of relying on the trusted formula that worked so well on record, frontman Ernest Greene has assembled an interesting and talented band to tour (led by the steady and intensely engaged bassist) with him and has completely re-worked the band’s sweeping musical arrangements (and soothing, intricately layered vocals) to give the fans that come out in support an entirely unique sound from that on the record.

Ernest Greene's Footwear: Washed Out @ One Eyed Jacks - 10/18/11 | Photo © Jimmy Grotting

Greene was surprisingly animated as a front man, initially arriving on-stage with a big smile and a standard hand-clap to get the crowd in gear before continuing to banter between songs. I guess this shouldn’t come as shocking, but preconceived notions of Washed Out led me to believe that Greene may perhaps hide behind a thick layer of smoke and a dimly-lit stage. This could not have been further from correct. As for the music, even the breeziest tunes from the new record like “Soft” were geared up to a with a more pronounced disco-leaning sound and faster tempo. The lesser known “Belong” came with blatant Caribbean flair, altered from its subtly reggae studio sound. “Echoes”, “You And I”, and the well-known Portlandia theme “Feel It All Around” rounded out the set, before the band returned for an encore, playing Chris Isaak’s iconic 90′s slow jam “Wicked Game” (see video below) and “Eyes Be Closed” rounded out a brilliant sampling of the artist’s still very much developing catalog. Without gearing towards a homogenized synth-laden pop sound, Washed Out was able to walk the difficult tight rope many electronic musicians fall short of, by keeping the fan experience both deeply introspective and collectively enjoyable – no easy task. It will be intriguing to see how Greene weaves the sonic landscape on the next studio outing as his influence on modern music is growing seemingly by the day.

Washed Out @ One Eyed Jacks - 10/18/11 | Photo © Jimmy Grotting

Personally, I am very excited to see what this these guys have to bring to the party crowd on December 30th when Washed Out will be playing alongside FUTUREBIRDS at Atlanta, GA’s Buckhead Theatre, should be a rowdy affair, and Washed Out’s set will hopefully be catered even more towards what should be a festive holiday crowd in Greene’s (and the FUTUREBIRDS) home state of Georgia. Alas, for a Tuesday night, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Wicked Game (Chris Isaak Cover)