I had the pleasure of seeing The Dodos play Gilley’s last Saturday. Their set came after a dramatic performance by Imaad Wasif and before a widely anticipated show by The New Pornographers. I have to say … as much as I love AC Newman and Neko Case, there was something quite magical about watching The Dodos perform live. Here’s how this second act turned into the main event for me…

First of all, I’m always floored by groups that make Big Sounds with only the bare minimum count of performers (count 3). Secondly, I’m a sucker for interesting instruments and they had a vibraphone. Vibraphones are cool. As it turns out, a lot can be done with an acoustic guitar, a set of drums and a couple of mallets.

You can make sweet, sweet music.

It’s worth highlighting that Meric Long is much more than just a pretty voice. He showed great skill with the guitar, and I could hear every note of his lovely, complex guitar melodies. No muddling here, folks. From where I stood, it was a pretty impressive sight to behold. That said, Meric’s vocals were so smooth, so hypnotic, that I could have happily fallen asleep on the spot.

Fortunately, Keaton Snyder and Logan Kroeber were also on stage to make sure that didn’t happen. While in action, they swept the crowd away with tremendous booms and sharp, peppery raps. The interesting part was that when the action was over, these two were downright unaffected. Stoic. Of course I knew they were working hard, but you couldn’t see it when sticks weren’t flying. While Meric talked to the crowd, Logan would calmly wipe the sweat from his forearms, and Keaton – well, if you didn’t pay close attention, you might not notice Keaton in the background at all. Not until the next gorgeous piece.

The best part for me was in the song, “Fools.” That’s when I realized I wasn’t the only one who came out to support The Dodos. They had plenty of fans in the crowd and could certainly carry their own alongside any group – even one as seasoned and adored as The New Pornographers.

So, they were my favorite but that’s not to say The New Pornographers didn’t deliver. Their set included tons of old and new songs (even ones they could barely remember), two encores and it continued past midnight. Favorites for me were “Adventures in Solitude” and “Laws Have Changed.” They were wonderfully energetic.

Which brings me to the one thing that was slightly off-putting – the Dallas fans! Honestly, with a group that’s so upbeat and energetic, you’d think their die hard fans would break a little sweat. Why most people refused to let loose and visibly enjoy the show, I’ll never know or understand. I guess that’s just the type of fan The New Pornographers attract: intelligent folk who show their appreciation with intelligent restraint.

Oh well, better than a mosh pit, I suppose.

In closing, I share with you some pictures my good buddy Lindy Weiss took while at the show:

AC Newman of The New Pornographers

Dan Bejar of The New Pornographers

Neko Case of The New Pornographers