Direct from Brooklyn via Chicago (and other U.S. municipalities), Grizzly Bear (as best said by the LA Times, “more teddy than grizzly”) took the Troubadour stage before a sold-out audience. Standing amongst the crowd, I was anxious to see GB, and after listening to their two albums, I felt that the intimacy of the Troubadour was perfect for their music.
The press on the Bear, particularly from “independent” music critics, has been extremely positive. Their music is airy and spacey, defined by its haunting melodies, lo-fi sound and meticulously-crafted instrumentations. Comparisons can be drawn to Animal Collective, the Microphones and All Night Radio (their two vocalists are passable at best, neither of which would be a contender on American Idol anytime soon).
In the tradition of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, their music is self-produced with their most recent album, Yellow House, recorded in the living room of a home on Cape Cod. Their first record, Horn of Plenty, which was more of a solo project, was recorded in a Brooklyn apartment and gained popularity in New York’s underground music scene.
However, as performers, Grizzly Bear did not do their music justice on this inconsequential Wednesday night, displaying little personality on-stage. Overly-stoic and sleepy, the Bear failed to create a stage presence that would breathe real life into their tunes. In a sense, they never managed to give you anything to grab onto; to make them special; to make you want to go see them live instead on just putting on their record.
