author: Guy

Brant Bjork & the Bros (usa) in Den Hemel, April 20th

CONCERT REVIEW

Since it’s almost as if Brant & Co. consider Belgium their second home base (how many gigs is that during the past year and a half? 5? 6?), it wouldn’t surprise me if jokes about the band start popping up one of these days. “Hey man, it’s loud but laidback, looks like 1969 Santana and when it comes around people start smiling and partyin’ hard? It’s not Sesame Street, nor the Republicans’ Convention… ”(and then the other guy is supposed to shrug his shoulders and utter a “You tell me, dude”) If the conditions are right, each place where Brant & the Bros play a show is turned into a gathering of stonerheads, potheads and retro-rock fans, and a small, crowded venue like Den Hemel is exactly what is required, making the show a nice runner-up for the devastating showcase at the Sojo a year ago. This time around, the band also seemed dead set on delivering the goods: with 25 (!) concert dates in 26 days (and the second one of the series being an appearance at the already legendary Roadburn-festival in Holland) you might expect them to hit the brakes more often, to take it easy once in a while by playing shorter sets, but Wednesday April 20th was not one of those days. As usual, the band started off with the combination of “Lazy Bones” and “Automatic Fantastic,” which was already enough to set the groove. Simple riffs, a funky rhythm section and a charismatic front man who exudes pré-Altamont hippie optimism, yet manages to avoid trite observations or slogans. That’s a good thing, as there have been more than enough bands recently that have too many obvious bones to pick. Brant & the Bros show you that it’s also okay to have fun once in a while, to let loose, to get carried away by the hypnotic pulse of the repetitive music that evokes early hard-rock (Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” popped up, as did several grooves that could’ve been inspired by Thin Lizzy’s classic sound), a Bay Area-vibe and a distant desert thunder. The sound was excellent and the band seemed to have a good time. How else could it be, since they played another 150-minute set? This might be awfully long if you’re used to concise pop songs or short outbursts of aggression, but you know the deal, maaaaan. Brant & the Bros… they take their time to develop a groove, even if it takes them fifteen minutes. Most of the songs they played sounded familiar and were taken from Jalamanta (“Low Desert Punk” being one of the highlights, as usual), Brant Bjork & the Operators (“Joey’s Radio,” the catchy “My Ghettoblaster” and a terrific version of “Cheap Wine,” which might be my favorite pick of the night) and Keep Your Cool (most noticeably a 20+ minute version of “Hey, Monkey Boy” that kicked off – well, perhaps ‘kick’ isn’t the right word for a song that seems the ‘anti-hurry’ – the extended encore (this band’s encores are longer than most bands’ sets). Brant also introduced a few new songs that will wind up on his first album that was recorded by him and a full backing band (the previous ones were basically solo efforts with a few people helping a hand here and there), and those sounded quite similar to the other stuff, which suggests that the organic live-feel will be present on the actual album. This show wasn’t on par with the memorable feast of last year – a gig that even the band members consider one of their very best – but the playing was as good as ever. Dylan Roche is still as solid as a 15 ton heavy monolith frying in the Arizona sun, Cortez plays a funkier guitar than any man’s entitled to since Hendrix died, and drummer Michael Peffer still gets an impressive flow out of minimalist contributions that stir up a trance or – occasionally – get the energy meter a bit higher. And all the while, there’s Brant Bjork, desert rock guru and charming all-round motherfucker par excellence, guiding band and audience through the haze. With style and grace, a smile on his face. This band’s days aren’t over yet.

(By the way, did anyone else notice that Brant sounds like Lou Reed’s younger West-coast brother when you close your eyes and listen?)

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