Before Megafaun and before Bon Iver, there was DeYarmond Edison; four good friends banging out rustic Americana and folk rock deep in the heart of Wisconsin. A little less than a decade ago, these friends moved south to North Carolina and musically began to splinter off. Brothers Brad and Phil Cook, along with drummer Joe Westerlund formed Megafaun, and subsequently released four albums of wildly disparate, yet dazzlingly panoramic songs and soundscapes that gathered rave reviews and helped build a core audience despite never quite breaking the band through to the wider appeal they properly deserved. As for Edison’s fourth member, well, that was Justin Vernon, who needs little to no introduction as he left North Carolina, returned to rural Wisconsin and came forth with Bon Iver, a sprawling band that now plays to renowned concert halls around the world.
Lately, these guys have been all over the place, what with the brothers Cook collaborating with the likes of Arnold Dreyblatt and working hard as session musicians, co-conspirators, and producers amongst their well-received circle of musical peers. Westerlund has kept busy as a touring drummer while getting ready to launch his new project Grandma Sparrow (more on that in a minute) and Vernon is off doing his thing as well, lately popping up in venues fronting the ambient collective Volcano Choir.
This past Friday evening they all convened at Brooklyn’s cozy Baby’s All Right to close out a brief four-night run of shows that puts a cork for the time being in Megafaun’s existence as an active band. Despite the buzz surrounding Vernon’s presence-iPhones and corresponding eyes were kept soundly in his direction throughout the show as he nonchalantly strummed the guitar, plucked his bass, and contributed melodic harmonies from his spot back near Westerlund’s drum kit-this night was not a DeYarmond Edison reunion nor a showcase for hotshot song tradeoffs. Instead, it was a night to celebrate the music of Megafaun and a chance for four old friends to pleasantly bask in each other’s company while instinctually playing along to tunes they’ve grown to love and appreciate over the ensuing years.
It was a solid, if at times, shambling show that had peaks of pure joy (the triple punch opening of “Resurrection”, “Volunteers”, and “The Fade” was transcendent), rollicking regionalism (the extra-punchy and fun “Carolina Days”) and lowdown dirty blues (“Kaufman’s Ballad”) which found Brad, Phil, and Vernon at song’s end, thrashing away on the ground in Crazy Horse-style histrionics. By the time they unplugged their instruments, stepped out into the darkness of the crowd and closed the show with hushed yet communal take on “Worried Man” the band had appropriately found a way to close this chapter of Megafaun. Hopefully, though, it won’t be “The End”. There’s just too much energy and recklessly controlled excitement when Megafaun is together. We wish them well in their next endeavors, but the doors remain hopefully cracked for a return at some point in the not-too-distant future.
In the meantime, Westerlund will be taking Grandma Sparrow out on the road in support of their upcoming LP, out May 20th. Much will surely be discussed about his performance alter-ego, and judging from the nearly 60-minute set prior to Megafaun, much of that discussion will be baffling. Donning rumpled cardigans, classic disguise glasses, party hats, and bird noses amongst countless other getups, Grandma Sparrow, the proclaimed “psychedelic choirmaster” ripped through an unyielding collage of whirling sound collections and performance techniques that left us onlookers dizzy and astounded. Part Vaudeville, part White Album madcap, part 70’s Steve Martin, part demented Wes Anderson character, Westerlund channeled a bevy of deep emotions and eccentricities, as he joyously led his able and chaotically synchronized backing band, the Canine Heart Sounds, across a whimsical and at times mystifying cacophony of noise. Do yourself a favor and check out the website or follow @piddletractor and get a dose of the vibe. As Phil Cook said during the Megafaun set: Westerlund “went there”.
