When Dan Deacon plays a show, hes not really performing as much as playing summer camp director. Last time he was here in Seattle, it was at Bumbershoot 2008, where short sets are par for the course. And yet, within the confines of 45 minutes, Deacon somehow managed to squeeze in a relay race, a dance contest, and an enormous human arm tunnel that incorporated every single person in the audience. Of course, all this occurred accompanied by Deacons spastic synth compositions. Problem is, his albumseven his latest offering, Bromstcant compete with such a dynamic live experience. Supporting band Teeth Mountain, on the other hand, manage to be just as engaging even though they dont offer the same degree of audience participation and (as they did at their last Seattle show) perform completely unplugged. That evening, the band set up their instruments on the floor of the Funhouse so that several different drummers could bang out complicated African rhythms on a shared drum kit in an incredible display of synchronicity. Though the drums were engaging enough on their own, they served as the backbone to acoustic, strings-driven melodies. Kate Levittwho, along with Andrew Burt, is one of the bands two permanent membershit the bass drum like a woman in a religious trance, making her a fascinating performer to watch. This pairing of completely synthesized sounds and completely organic, acoustic sounds may seem odd, but once you watch them work, youll find that nothing could be more natural. All ages.
Sat., April 25, 7:30 p.m., 2009
