Wye Oak @ Webster Hall (May 7, 2014)

On Wednesday night Wye Oak and BRAIDS stopped by New York City to play a very packed out show at Webster Hall.

It was the first time I caught Canadian band BRAIDS live, although I have been meaning to see them for quite some time now. The trio of Raphaelle Standell-Preston, Austin Tufts and Taylor Smith, are able to summon all kinds of musical ideas and release them in ways that seem pure and natural to them. Their music has gives off passionate, rich imagery, that is smooth and effective, moving the entire crowd in ways that you don’t normally see from opening acts. Braids have this ability to create harmonies out of harmonies, grabbing every part of the musical space and seizing the opportunity. They have been working on new songs at a cabin in Prescott, Arizona, and played a few of them, all of which sounded magical. They were as fantastic of an opener as you’ll find, and some attendees may even say that they stole the show.

Wye Oak recently released their new album Shriek and it’s a new approach for the band. Their new songs lean towards bass-heavy licks and a more electronic grasp than the more guitar friendly earlier days that so many fans are used to. The transition was easy, as the new material still has the flavor and familiarity of their older tracks. Wye Oak consists of the duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, although they do the jobs of a 4-piece band. At some point you’d see Stack tending to a keyboard all while he was keeping the tempo behind his kit. During “Spiral” Wasner played guitar as Stack grabbed a bass and played alongside her. It’s eye opening to see just how much these two do all by themselves. While the new songs were solid, it was hard to deny the sheer power of some of their older material where they are able to just cut loose and rock out.

The encore consisted of a great cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” that the band hinted would be released officially in the future. They finished off with the stunning sendoff of “Civilian”, that sent everyone home quite happy.

Find photos of both Wye Oak and BRAIDS posted below.

Wye Oak: