#87 Yeasayer

Yes, sometimes we get to shamble, half-motivated. It was one of these evenings: we could make a list of all the troubles we had with the equipment, organization, weariness, the Take away show scheduled after the show at the Nouveau Casino. Plus, the band kept us waiting and the tour manager refused to use the van...

However, two hours after, we left an apartment at Jourdain, exalted, light-headed, convinced that we lived one of the craziest, most free sessions of all the Take away shows... with a band I didn’t like.

When I saw them in Brooklyn, Yeasayer puzzled me, weird outfit, gimmicks from the 80s, crazy flights, it was all too much. When I listened to the record, it was worst: I couldn’t bear the layers, synthesizers, exaggerated reverberation. That evening, I hardly regretted missing the show, despite the amazed faces of those who were leaving the venue.

The band left the Nouveau Casino. They were funny, mordant, at ease, blithe. We went round in circles a bit, and then were told we would not take the van. So, we decided to go to the subway at station Goncourt. Fans, friends, god knows who, they all came with us. We walked for a long time, so long that we almost forgot we were there to shoot. Ira, the bass player, was the last one to take the stairs and the band almost took us by surprise, going ahead, turning around and singing a capella.

It would be useless to carry on this description, I think the videos speak for themselves... Crazy songs on the subway, rising and reaching their climax at Jourdain, opening a six-pack, a long walk, the building with two codes, an entry phone, a secured elevator and eleven floors. And then, the piano, beer, songs, 2080’s lyrics written quick and dirty on a sheet of paper, Lyn relaxing on her hamac, hands, glasses, bottles clinking on the floor as if calling the neighbour’s bawling out. A joyful hippie communion.

And the songs. Their minimalism would be worth, more often, only the tictic noise on the beer bottles. As much strong, and beautiful. That evening, we talked Yeasayer into going wild but they went further, they dragged us. Yeasayer are fun.