DESTROYER at the Opera House, Saturday, June 23. Rating: NNNN
Vancouver singer/songwriter and New Pornographer Dan Bejar changes up his Destroyer band on nearly every album, allowing his enigmatic music to push beyond indie rock’s ever-expanding boundaries.
In his current eight-piece Kaputt version – drummer, two guitarists, keyboardist, trumpeter, bassist and saxophonist – he’s found his ideal lineup.
For one, thanks to the newly horn-heavy sound, he’s getting invites to events like the Toronto Jazz Festival, which Saturday’s Opera House show was a part of.
The set was sonically epic straight out of the gates and, over 90 minutes, moved through tunes new and old. The flute-featuring Suicide Demo For Kara Walker from last year’s Kaputt and set closer Hey, Snow White from 2002’s This Night were particular standouts.
With so large a band, Bejar no longer plays guitar, which keeps the focus on his rambling, hyper-literate lyrics and unsettling, nasally voice. During the lengthy instrumental breaks, he sat down on the stage. Though the band’s inventiveness and musicianship often threatened to outshine him, you get the sense he’s probably okay with that.
