“Our drummer, Brian… R.I.P.” Thus spoke Dirty Projectors leader Dave Longstreth as he and his remaining two bandmates stood on chairs against one wall of a dark, sweaty, overcrowded storefront show the other night in Williamsburg. A stunned murmur went through the crowd – the excellent and affable drummer of the best new band in New York was no more. “He died?” the guy next to me said. “That’s horrible.”
But Longstreth had meant M.I.A., not R.I.P. As the band’s bass player quickly clarified, “Ummm… He’s in Mexico.”
Three-quarters of Dirty Projectors proceeded to play an absolutely magical show, singing without a P.A., their fascinating harmonizing accompanied only by Longstreth’s lanky, brainy guitar lines. The set drew largely from their upcoming album Rise Above, a brilliant reinterpretation/reinvention of Black Flag’s quintessential album Damaged, which is due out on September 11th and will redeem that benighted date as much as any music possibly could.
Dirty Projectors will tour North America starting later this month and through September. Catch them when they come through your town and witness a band on the cusp of greatness.
The Dirty Projectors have the honor of being the worst live band I have ever seen.
Kind of assholes too…sort of nice to know they are not too bright either.
no way. this band is amazing!! and possibly one of the best bands i have ever seen live, and used to own a club in tempe AZ so i know what im talking about. hahah. the last guy to post is a pussy-bot and probably will die of an overdose. or more than likey he will fade away, never to be herd from again, while the dirty projectors make more music.
Now that I finally have seen them I can confirm the first comment that they are the worst live band ever. They’re not tight and they can’t even play their own instruments very well, especially Longstreth.