I make myself a promise: I will only see Deerhunter in clubs again. Deerhunter are enjoyable at festivals, but they’re absolutely magic in a small venue. Their portion of the No Deachunter show was absolutely incredible; this show was almost as great.

Deerhunter’s van broke down on the way to the show — apparently they were driving straight from New York — but they had it fixed in time to show up a little after 11pm. They jumped on stage, ran through a fast soundcheck and then launched into their show. I’m not normally one for slow-build performances when I’m completely sober, but this show was incredible. They have a fantastic command of the dynamics of a live show: when to ride out a riff, when to let it explode and when to jump full-force into a rocking song.

A few friends complained that the bass was too loud, but that might have been my favorite part about it. On record, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed Deerhunter’s bass lines for more than a second. Live, they were completely mesmerizing. In fact, bassist Joshua Fauver is my new favorite musician. Two quick stories about him.

-people were throwing around glowsticks. Rather than get annoyed when they landed on stage, Josh scooped up a handful and started threading them into his bass. Then when people threw them at him (often hitting him in the face) he laughed, picked them up and added those in as well.

-the girl in front of me had her glasses knocked off her face by the crowd. In the middle of “Nothing Ever Happened,” Josh came over to ask if she was OK and offer her a lighter to help her find her glasses on the floor. He had about a minute’s worth of interaction with her while he played his bass with only one hand. Incredible skill plus an unexpected gesture of kindness.

More photos after the break