In San Francisco’s Mission District, the most “Brooklyn” neighborhood in the city, Matthew Dear represented his borough at Public Works on Feb. 24 as part of the Noise Pop Festival. Co-founder of Ghostly, which just put out the new School of Seven Bells, Dear represents the darkest sound on his label, dwelling in the purgatory between new wave and no wave.
In his 2010 album Black City and his latest Headcage EP, Dear’s composition feels entirely electronic. Featuring a five-piece band with Dear on guitar, his live sets reinterpret the polished original recordings into live percussion-and-horn driven chaos, more warehouse party in the 1980s’ Lower East Side than a multi-storied nightclub. A few songs off Black City were nearly unrecognizable, while newer tracks “Headcage” and “In The Middle (I Met You There),” with their simpler pop structures, rendered closer to the original tracks.
Shy and brooding, Dear spoke little during the nearly two-hour set, sweating into his guitar work and focusing on leading his band. Working almost as hard as Dear was his drummer, often seen sans sticks, gripping the cymbals with his hands to control the timing and perfect the noise.
The packed show swelled into a pulsing pit of fans crowding the stage and demanding an encore from Dear who humbly delivered two more songs. Unlike previous tours, Dear’s recent live performances have received glowing reviews and his DJ sets consistently deliver. Don’t miss him on the last leg of his North American tour, dates listed on his website. – Whitney Phaneuf – photo by Graham Hommel