There’s very little about Dan Deacon that could be considered clichéd rock and roll.
Even the night of this gig, an unglamourous Monday, seemed destined to throw his party at a return visit to The Haunt off the rails.
But the Baltimore-based polymath should never be underestimated. Armed with a stunning live drummer, bruisingly loud PA and a bank of neon wires and analogue synths and pedals, the self confessed “fat guy in a shirt” worked each and every member of the audience into a sweat.
The methods he employed ranged from genuinely hilarious stand-up comedy, to dividing the room in two and instigating dance offs, to pummeling Lightning Bolt-esque noise and all-round evangelical vibes.
It was a heady mix, and even those who were shy, or just reticent to fully engage, were high-fiving each other by the show’s end.
Dan Deacon was, as usual, a tour de force more focused on getting on with enjoying himself than looking cool or being a hipster.
It was refreshing, wholly innovative and at points a total assault on the senses. But when you dance this hard, only the party really matters.
Four stars
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