A Series of Lists Regarding Last Night

Here's a list of reasons you didn't go see Why? play with Mt. Eerie at the Wonder Ballroom last night:

1. You went to Grizzly Bear instead.
2. You had to write a paper, probably about Virgil or Homer or some greek shit like that.
3. You stuck around the house for some quality time with a bottle of Inglenook and your old copy of "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" meditating to the sound of your loneliness with your Low playlist on repeat and shuffle at full volume.
4. Still recoiling from the Pamphlette's accusation about murderous anti-semitic activities at Lewis and Clark, you were busy writing an angry letter to the editor.


Here's what you missed:

1. Phil Elverum has apparently left his folky pleasant strums behind for this tour and picked up two drummers, another guitar player and two keyboard players (with four keyboards) to form what looks to be the best heavy, melodic, transcendent and tranquil slowcore band I've heard in a while (see "Low" above). It was awesome, even if the crowd couldn't manage to shut the fuck up for 30 minutes during their set. It made me want to listen to their 2008 "Black Wooden Ceiling Opening," even though they didn't play a single song from that record. They did play a metal-ass version of "Lost Wisdom" though.

2. Why? tore it up. Not only was Yoni Wolf spot on vocally, his brother Josiah Wolf provided a rhythm section that was un-fucking-shakable, Andrew Broder (Fog) killed the guitar, Mark Erickson (also Fog) headbanged unnecessary amounts, and ridiculously good keyboard player Doug Mcdiarmid was hot in a Don Draper after work kind of way.

3. Most of the songs were from "Alopecia", because that's still what people seem to know best. That's ok, but the new album is better. The songs he played off of "Eskimo Snow" were the most dynamic and engaging, while his hip-hop material garnered more arm waving and pointing.

4. Yoni Wolf danced, a lot. Remember Rick Moranis? Never forget.


So here's a list of things you should have gathered from this article:

1. Grizzly Bear is pretty good, but you probably went to the wrong show.

2. Greek and Latin are boring and so are the stories they told, even if some fancypants fop in the 18th century decided to translate them into english.

3. Drinking alone is sad unless there's a really good reason to.

4. Sometimes too clever means not funny.

5. Mount Eerie has been good since before you started listening to real music. They are still getting better. Go buy "Black Wood Ceiling Opening" and "No Flashlight" and The Microphones' "The Glow Pt. 2."

6. Two drummers ALWAYS makes a band better.

7. The Wonder Ballroom's sound guy knows what's up.

8. So does Why? go get "Eskimo Snow" and drunkenly request those songs next time he's in town.


All in all, good shit. I kind of wish they would have play a Hymie's Basement track though.

-Will