Image by Natasha Ryan
Bodies of Water’s emphatic delivery meets NYC stoicism
August 13, 2008, at Mercury Lounge
By Eleanor Whitney
Published: August 17th, 2008 | 10:35am
Looking as if they had slept in their clothes, L.A.-based Bodies of Water took to the stage at the Mercury Lounge late Wednesday night. Before they began, they turned away from the modest yet excited crowd and took a few tentative tries at their instruments. Without fanfare they turned to face forward and began quietly singing the opening “ahh, ahh, ahhs” of “Doves Circle the Sky.” In contrast to the unassuming beginning, the band suddenly hit its stride and the members threw themselves into the song. Vocalist-keyboardist Meredith Metcalf matched the drum beat with her marching footsteps and the song ended with emphatic clapping and tambourine shaking from bassist Kyle Gladden.
This enthusiastic performance characterized Bodies of Water’s set. The band members used their voices as instruments as much as their guitars, bass, organ, violin, and drums. Metcalf’s urgent delivery was the focus of the band while the other band members remained stoic. Throughout the set she jumped along with the beat, bent over, and stretched out her hands toward the audience as if physically pushing the message and feeling the music towards them.
Despite the band’s no-holes-barred delivery, a large gap emerged between the stage and the first line of audience. Metcalf invited audience members to come forward, which caused a brief debate. Was the band too loud? Was the sound not good enough? No, the sound was fine an audience member assured them. “It’s a mob mentality,” she concluded about the audience’s hesitancy to participate. “Mob mentality is historically unreliable.” With that, the band delicately began the anthemic “Gold, Tan, Peach, and Gray” from their new album A Certain Feeling (Secretly Canadian). From this sweet beginning the song quickly crescendoed into a frenetic chorus invoking all the intensity of a gospel choir.
This frenzied approach continued on “Water Here,” and the band expertly handled the song’s many tempo and rhythm changes. They shouted their vocals in a near chaotic round that left audience members breathless just from watching.
However, despite the band’s energetic singing, audience members did not reflect Bodies of Water’s intensity. While some closed their eyes and followed the band’s every note, many drifted away throughout the nine-song set. Metcalf expressed frustration as she stated, “All right, on this next song we totally go for it, and I’m not going to say it, but…” “Don’t say it!” interjected guitarist-vocalist (and Meredith's husband) David Metcalf. “…But,” continued Meredith, “We are only good as you guys. It’s reciprocal.” Despite her half-joking plea, the audience remained quiet while the band launched into the darker, hard-rock influenced “Darling, Be Here.” Despite the audience members’ reticence, the band did go for it for the rest of the set. They closed the set as they started, with a touching chorus of “ahhs” that intensified into yelps and tambourine shakes in the midst of Meredith’s angular dancing along to the song “These Are the Eyes.” Once finished, the room cleared immediately. Bodies of Water immediately turned around, turned off their amplifiers, and left the stage quickly.
Issue #35
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