WHITE FENCE and KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD at the Garrison, Thursday, October 16. Rating: NNN
White Fence, a.k.a. Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Tim Presley, is one of psych-rock’s most prolific and intriguing artists. He drew a sizeable crowd out of the rain on Thursday night, but it was the rollicking openers who stole the show.
Melbourne seven-piece fuzz rockers King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard played in Toronto for the second time in five months. Testing the limits of the tiny Garrison stage, the unkempt road warriors got to work with a relentless, mind-bending set. Fifteen-minute Head On/Pill took the audience on a strange but invigorating journey with three guitars, a harmonica and keys, plus a flute for good measure. Singer Stu Mackenzie’s manic frontman approach payed homage to Thee Oh Sees’ John Dwyer, and a hypnotic double-drum assault provided intense stimulation for the eyes and ears.
Opening with a loose version of Chairs In The Dark from 2013’s Cyclops Reap album, White Fence (who played as a four-piece) took a more languid approach. Presley looked disengaged at times and his groove-laden psych rock never really hit the heights of his stunning Live In San Francisco album.
