Okkervil River

As part of the Melbourne Festival, Texan six piece Okkervil River performed this evening at The Forum Theatre, ably supported by local two piece Roller One.

Roller One, the duo of singer/songwriter/guitarist Fergus McAlpin and double bassist Adam Affif, augmented by friends playing slide guitar and viola. The duo are members of the band Silver City Highway. Roller One is a side project for McAlpin And Affif. The band create a highly atmospheric sound, taking elements of country and folk music to places one wouldn’t expect. The result is an ethereal, almost at times otherworldly sound. Think of The Rolling Stones track “Moonlight Mile”, off the Sticky Fingers album, and you will have a fair idea of Roller One’s direction and inspiration.

Sounding like a happy halfway ground vocally between Bill Callahan and Mark Lanagen, McAlpin has a very impressive voice that gives a wonderful sense of life and being to candid, confessional tracks such as “Million Dollars”, “Come Back Home” and the title track of their debut album, “Motorsports”. A very impressive set from a highly promising duo.

Being a relative newcomer to Okkervil River, this scribe went into this evening with open ears and an open mind. The Texan six piece, formed in 1998, proved to be an absolute revelation. Coming on earlier than expected, the band proceeded to play an incendiary,  raw and passionate set this evening. Lead by the beautifully unconventional singer/guitarist Will Sheff, the band proceeded the impress the assembled crowd at The Forum immensely.

Okkervil River’s sound could be best described in a number of ways. Ostensibly alternative rock, there are many influences at play within the band’s sound and inspirations, such as folk, country and 80’s/90’s alternative music. This scribe kept thinking of bands such as Echo & The Bunnymen, Arcade Fire (circa Neon Bible), and Australia’s own, recently departed, The Middle East. Bands that can oscillate between a raw. haunting intimacy and a big, grandiose, epic sound, sometimes even in the space of one song. This was never more evident this evening than in the band’s utterly stunning and moving version of “A Girl In Port” performed this evening, a truly beautiful and moving high point of this evening’s set.

Another truly beautiful moment like this was when Sheff and bassist/guitarist Patrick Pestorious played “No Key, No Plan” as a duo. The assembled crowd were utterly transfixed to the point that you could have heard a pin drop, such was the intensity and effect. One of those moments where one’s soul is truly stirred in regards to experiencing live music.

In contrast, Okkervil River, as mentioned, can also have a grand, big, almost overwhelming sound to them at times. This was very much in evidence on tracks such as the intriguingly titled “Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe” and “The Valley” and “We Need A Myth”. Sheff sings with raw, affecting emotion that is hard to ignore or shake from one’s mind. Lyrically, the songs have a wonderfully direct and unpretentious way of telling stories about the human condition in all its many forms, positive and negative.

As a frontman, Sheff has a very charismatic, quirky, wired personality, reminiscent of great and unusual front men, such as David Byrne and Jarvis Cocker. The way he totally loses himself in his music on stage is truly a sight to behold. He also has, at times, a wicked sense of humour, such as when he suggested to the crowd to get their conversations over and done with before the band did a quiet song! The control the band displayed over their music was incredible. There were several points where the music became loose, improvised and threatened to fall apart. The fact that it never did was illustrative of a truly exceptional and talented live act.

Every member of this band is an excellent musician in their own right. Together, they create something very special and exceptional . Throughout the band’s career, they have undergone numerous lineup changes. The band has very much grown and evolved over time and six albums, the most recent of which, I Am Very Far, was released earlier this year. Currently, they are at a truly brilliant and scarily impressive performance level as a band.

Two members, apart from Sheff, must be singled out for praise. To me, they were almost like the glue that gives Okkervil River such a powerful and unique sound that sets them apart from their peers. Firstly, the band has what would have to be currently one of the best drummers in the world in the form of Cully Symington. This is a huge compliment not made lightly, but his playing style, diversity and sense of feel reminded me quite a bit of the legendary John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. The way in which he powered this band and was their backbone was incredible to hear and see.

Secondly, the band feature the truly extraordinary lead guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo. A fellow Texan and formerly of the band The Dialtones, Gurgiolo joined Okkervil River in 2008. It is quite unusual to see a female lead guitarist in bands these days. Gurgiolo brings a strong and uniquely feminine touch to the guitar sound of Okkervil River, setting her apart completely from other male, testosterone-driven guitar sounds that feature in other bands around at the moment. Another high compliment, she reminds one of two great guitarists, namely Mick Taylor, formerly of The Rolling Stones, in the beautiful tone that she achieves. She also recalls to mind Elliot Easton, the fantastic guitarist from The Cars, with her beautiful sense of instinct and simply knowing what fits where with the music so perfectly and how it compliments other elements of the music that Okkervil River create. Gurgiolo proved to be something of a virtuoso this evening, constantly changing between playing guitar, lap steel, banjo and mandolin at various points during the set. Like Sheff, watching her get lost in the music that both she and the band create is joyous to behold. Looking at the entire band perform, the love of what they do was utterly infectious to see as a concert goer.

This was an exceptional night. One got the feeling that the band could have played for significantly longer than what they did, as Sheff explained and apologised, after the encore, that they were unable to do so due to venue restrictions. After the band left the stage, “O Happy Day” came on the PA as the incredibly joyous and positive crowd began to leave the venue. This was perfectly fitting for what had been a borderline magical experience that reminds one why they see and love live music.

Without a doubt, one of the concerts of the year.

– Neil Evans