Feature by Chris Nowling: In New York City, Dirty Projectors are set to play at Lincoln Center and the Bowery Ballroom. In Los Angeles, it's the Walt Disney Concert Hall. But here in Salt Lake City, Utah, it's the humble little joint called In the Venue that they're to perform at. To call this somewhat dingy club nondescript would be generous; still, I’ve seen some fantastic performances here (including Fleet Foxes last year), and expect this one to be no different. Arriving at what I’ve come to refer to as “concert standard time” (about a half hour after the show’s 7 p.m. opening), I expect to see some sort of line or crowd inside, but we're greeted instead with neither. The opening band is still ten minutes away from taking the stage, but even still, the paltry turnout is surprising. A few small groups mill about, but nobody is jockeying for position up front as there isn’t much competition—we're not complaining.

Perhaps people simply aren’t enticed by openers Tune-Yards, or, as is the case for me, have never heard the name before. Fortunately, the duo of vocalist/drummer/ukulelist(?) Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner don’t seem to mind playing to a small and uninitiated crowd, giving one of the strangest and most energetic performances I’ve seen recently. Garbus—one eye circled with black paint—gets right to work, looping simple drum beats, wailing into the microphone and rocking the ukulele like it’s probably never been done before, while Brenner stays discreetly in the background playing simple, groovy bass riffs. I think everyone is at first unsure what to think, but Garbus’ manic energy and constant smile becomes infectious, and as she alternately sings sweetly and yelps unintelligible tribal chants into the mic with everything she can muster, the audience can’t help but get into it and soon we're cheering, dancing, and even participating in the cacophony when possible. By the time the sound-check for Dirty Projectors begins, the size of the crowd increases substantially, but it still doesn't look sold out—which once again surprises me, considering the high profile year the band has had with their stellar new album, Bitte Orca.

This time we have to be a bit more defensive of our front-row position, but even then few people seem in a rush to get in place. Fortunately, as Tune-Yards didn’t exactly take up much space on stage, most of Dirty Projectors’ equipment is up there and ready to go, and soon the band—or a couple of its members anyway—take to the stage. Frontman Dave Longstreth and one of the band’s three female vocalists, Angel Deradoorian, are the first to appear, opening the set with the sweet ballad “Two Doves” from Bitte Orca. It's not a move I expected but a welcome introduction that lulls the crowd with its simplicity and beauty before the remainder of the band hit the stage and pick up the pace.

After the relaxed opener, a lively version of “Remade Horizon” kicks things off nicely, showcasing the harmonic depth that the four singers achieve together. But what impresses me most—and continues to do so throughout the show—is how happy the band seem to be for the opportunity to perform. Longstreth and Amber Coffman especially are all smiles, and all six members exhibit a confident, enthusiastic chemistry. There isn’t much space on that small stage (if you can call it that), but the band make the most of it, dancing about and even getting a bit rowdy when the occasion calls for it (as on the noisy bridge of “Bitte Orca”). Not having schooled myself properly in the entire Dirty Projectors canon prior to the show, I wondered if my unfamiliarity with their older material would be an issue, but the band stick primarily to their recent output; “Cannibal Resource,” “Temecula Sunrise,” and my personal favorite from Bitte Orca, “No Intention,” all please the crowd, and you can see much of the audience singing along or at least moving knowingly to the beat.

When the band play through a couple of their earlier tunes the energy in the room lessens somewhat, but the songs are no less excellent in their execution and the best of those non-Bitte Orca numbers (“Rise Above") is a clear highlight of the evening. Late in the set, when Dirty Projectors finally drop lead single “Stillness is the Move,” the crowd lets them know it's the moment everyone's been waiting for. The place goes wild and for five minutes an awkward and impromptu dance party ensues—both on and off stage—as Amber Coffman appropriately steals the spotlight with her strong vocals. It may not be the tightest performance of the evening, but it's easily the most enjoyable.

The band finish off the set with another treat: the new, non-album track “When the World Has Come to an End,” which they debuted on Jimmy Fallon and which they nail here, giving the show a perfect finale (one-song encore aside). Dirty Projectors don’t interact much with the crowd directly, but their concert experience is nonetheless engaging and the band always seems eager to make a good impression (which they undoubtedly did here). The set isn’t very long (just over an hour), but it's enough to be satisfying, and the band easily make good on my lofty expectations. It’s nice to know that one of indie rock’s hottest bands can impress on stage as well as in the studio—even more so on occasion, as they proved Saturday night. At some point during the show, Longstreth comments about it being a couple years since they were last in Salt Lake. Here's to hoping they return again much sooner than that.

Feature By:
Chris Nowling