REVIEW: Darwin Deez @ Middle East Upstairs 11/11
By Kristyn Mize
Imagine driving to the beach with the top down and the sun beaming, catching rays on your skin as the summer breeze hugs your face, tangles your hair, and wraps its endless arms around whatever else it can reach: that’s what being at the Middle East Upstairs for a Darwin Deez concert is like. While you embrace the music, it embraces you right back. Blaring colors of red and green and aqua and violet, the small room was alight with communion.
The first thing I noticed upon entrance was the sparkly, emerald drum kit posing centerstage. Spelled out across the kick drum in alternating green and blue painter’s tape was “DEEZ.” The four-man indie-pop band, with frontman Darwin Smith, is known for its DIY style. All four albums were recorded in Smith’s home studio in New York, creating a sort of emotional intimacy (which was hardly lacking in their latest album, 10 Songs That Happened When You Left Me With My Stupid Heart).
The second notable thing I observed was Darwin, in the flesh! He stood at the back of the audience, leaning into the nook of an archway, unassumingly enjoying the opener before his last performance of the tour. Just another fellow among the masses, he donned clear-framed spectacles, a gray hoodie over a white t-shirt, and a flat bill cap to top his corkscrew curls.
Taking the stage, Darwin sipped some “happy juice” (beer), as he called it, before he and the rest of the group ditched their instruments for a dance. With clumsy ripples and coordinated krumping, they danced to a mash-up of Drake songs and sound bites from popular Vine videos. This introduction set the radiant tone for the rest of the show.
From the gangly choreography, they stumbled right into the music. While many artists open with their most popular tracks, Darwin went with a deep cut from his debut album: “The City.” This was a bold move, but a testament to his blatant zing.
As the backdrop lit up with twinkling stars, the band transitioned into “Constellations.” It seemed to have a hypnotic effect on the crowd. Swaying like cattails in the wind, the audience found comfort in this familiar song, and so did the band. You could feel their felicity in each beat and every strum. They rode out the high as they played into a funky guitar riff that really charmed the crowd. Darwin called it a “lick”–only to pop up in moderation to preserve its clout.
After much anticipation, he finally played “Queen of Spades” and “Say It First” off of his latest album. The former is a cautionary tale about a woman who “doesn’t play to win / she plays to make you lose again,” while the latter is about needing validation in a relationship. This whole album was written for the lovelorn, but its zesty rhythms leave you feeling otherwise. Hearing him play these songs live gave them a whole new dimension. Darwin’s angst was translated into a string of extended metaphors and funky synth-lines tactfully sewn into a blanket for the heartbroken in need of a hug. However, its effervescent packaging compelled listeners to revel rather than wallow.
Without a defined setlist, Darwin Deez played as he pleased. Hits like “The Bomb Song,” “Bed Space,” and “Redshift” manifested in ardent serenades with his signature wonky twist. No matter the subject of the song, he guided everyone towards the silver lining with his irresistible charisma.
He ended the official show with “The World’s Best Kisser,” which was arguably his most energetic performance of the night…until his two encores. Returning to the stage, he played “Too Shy to Take a Shine” unaccompanied by the rest of his band. In doing so, he personified the lyrics and the crowd bear witness. His soft vocals packed a surprise punch that only a wallflower could pull off.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was his final song of the night: “Bad Day.” Brimming with ingenious disses and infinite delight, Darwin Deez skipped the denouement and ended the show at its summit.
Darwin truly championed a personal connection with his audience. Between tune-ups and dance interludes, he quipped some short stand-up bits that he later ad-libbed into his songs. He personalized the show with newfound inside jokes between him and us. It was as if we were all longtime friends catching up over coffee or Mountain Dew.
His last words onstage were “Stick around after the show! I’ll be selling some merch at the back table and I want to give each of you a sweaty hug!”
In typical Deez fashion, the concert was offbeat in all the right ways.
