Live: Wye Oak at the Magic Stick

Thanks to one of those major snowstorms that effectively shut down the entire northeast a few times last winter, Wye Oak had to cancel their supporting show with the Decemberists and couldn’t return for the rescheduled gig. However, Detroit was lucky enough to have Wye Oak arrive on their own headlining tour at the Magic Stick, and to a rather full house considering it was the first show they had ever played in Motown. Couples in their honeymoon stage littered the venue, drawn to the romantic atmosphere of beautiful vocals and slow, dreamy tunes of the Wye Oak duo.

The sweet, blissful mood was first set by opening band Jura, a local Detroit shoegaze band that excelled in long, ambient instrumental pieces with sparse but gentle vocals. They quickly drew in the primarily date-night audience and it wasn’t long before I saw couples swaying together.

(via SLOTHPOP’s facebook page)

Following Jura was indie pop group SLOTHPOP from Indianapolis, a fantastic band that brought a fresh energy to the stage. The band included a cellist and violinist, which immediately caught my eye, as I love strings backing up my indie pop rock. Their range of sound and fantastic stage presence had me bouncing along in no time. Lead singer Kristin Newborn especially captivated me and the crowd with her amazingly dynamic and resonating voice. I definitely look forward to hearing more from these guys.

Finally, it was time for Wye Oak. My favorites were “Fish,” which sounded absolutely gorgeous live, and “Holy Holy” that brought a little bit more energy to the set. While they focused primarily on songs from Civilian, they also played a few songs from previous EPs to appease the random shouting requests from the crowd. Jenn’s voice sounded amazing, but the most compelling part of the show for me was the sheer skills of drummer and keyboardist Andy Stack. With right hand and feet deftly working the drum set, his left hand managed the keyboard. This ambidextrous talent is something I’ve only seen a few times before, and I definitely found myself captivated.

If you haven’t yet seen the gorgeous video for “Fish” watch in now:

Wye Oak have finished up their Spring tour, but they’re touring Europe next month, and they’ll be back in the US this September/October. Be sure to catch them if you can, especially if you’ve got a special someone to take with you.