Subscribe
Chris Keating
Sunday would seem to be the setting for the battle of the hip, white, New York-based, world music-channeling indie bands; or, at least, two of them. With Vampire Weekend setting up camp on the Green Stage in the middle of the afternoon, their contempos over in Brooklyn, Yeasayer, laid siege to the Red Marquee right after lunch. Considering the turnout, their estimable reputation seems to have preceded them, and there was quite a sizable portion that knew the songs, if not the words themselves.
But I think many of the people at the gig had simply wandered by, liked what they heard, and decided to stick around. Mostly what they heard was Chris Keating’s earnest, soulful, and quite intense singing, occasionally spotted by the mellower tones of guitarist Anand Wilder. Together, these guys could develop a seminar on indie harmony vocals. In one of those batshit moments that occasionally happen during the weekend, Anand was singing the main melody line in “O.N.E.,” when, fugue-like, Keating added a doubled falsetto counterpoint. The crowd seemed to lift up in the air as one. The Bee Gees couldn’t have done it better.
In fact, disco is probably a better genre description of Yeasayer’s live vibe. Though the group relies on electronics quite a bit, it’s the drums that make the strongest impression…and the vocals. The “yoo-hoo” chorus to “Madder Red” was perfect singalong fodder; even the hippies in the room crooned along.
As often happens at the festival, and especially at the Red Marquee, the band didn’t know what hit them. It was Yeasayer’s first show in Japan and Keating was so impressed he came this close to throwing himself on the crowd. But apparently he’s not that kind of guy. “I’m taking a one-week vacation in Japan,” he said before going into the last song, “Ambling Alp,” “and it starts in four minutes.” Then he thought better of that. “No, it starts right now,” and the song began.
photo: Kumazawa Izumi
