CONCERT RECAP: White Denim plus Maps and Atlases @ One Eyed Jacks – 11/7/12

Wednesday night at One Eyed Jacks was one of the greatest musical successes in all of the historical books of gnar gnar, thanks to the ever-worthy Bonnaroo Buzz Tour. That’s right, White Denim and Maps and Atlases brought the soul-felt touch of heat, and we were lucky enough to be a part of it.

Chicago-based rockers, Maps and Atlases, started things off with a sultry bang of bearded experimental-folk (I mean, singer Dave Davison has to have a bizarre, poetic ecosystem going on in that beard of his), and having been very unfamiliar with their material before the show, I was beyond pleasantly surprised. Mixing everything from twang to far-out licks of worm-tunnel greatness, this band is something every music fan should find a way to experience.

With everyone in quite a ecstatic mood after witnessing some pure melodic bliss, it was time – once and for all – to experience the jammy yet calculated glory that is White Denim. This Austin-based quartet really has it all, they have the way and the truth. When White Denim traverses the terrain of rock and then dips into jam-stand harmony, the audience feels something more intimate than they generally do when watching any other band. Basically, they have brought something new to the musical table, they are a source yet untapped by our generation of noise-makers. If you’re a musician, you envy this kind of performance, the perfection of quick changes and enormous creativity, of sweet and joyful madness.

The set just couldn’t have been any better, especially considering they pulled “No Real Reason” out of the request hat after the LMB NOLA team sent an insistent tweet to the band pre-show. And then there were the other wells of rock, including “Anvil Everything,” “Regina,” “Mirrored in Reverse,” “Say What You Want,” and “Street Joy.” These are just a few of the high-energy gifts bestowed upon us in the high-praising crowd, and each song was simply a mountain-moving type of originality. Everything about the night was delicious, from the music to the always-lovely setting of One Eyed Jacks. Moral of the experience: Do not attend a White Denim show if you have weak knees.

About the author

Can be your friend if you like words. Can probably be your friend even if you do not like words. Lives in New Orleans, looks for shade. Thanks Miner Johnson (@brahbrahbrah) for this prestigious career. You should thank him, too.

 

Tags: Maps and Atlases, One Eyed Jack's, White Denim