For those who follow the psych rock scene, Heron Oblivion is something of a supergroup, for lack of a better term. The San Francisco group consists of Ethan Miller and Noel Von Harmonson of the group Comets On Fire. Miller may be better known these days as the leader of 70’s-style, testosterone-charged Howlin’ Rain – easily one of the most underrated rock bands around – and Von Harmonson has forged his own way with Sic Alps and Six Organs of Admittance. Then there is Charlie Saufley, the guitarist for Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, among other psychedelic endeavors.
At the core of Heron Oblivion is Meg Baird, who maintains a cultish following in the psych-folk scene and in this band comes front and center both with her hypnotic vocals and her backbone drumming that anchors this ship of blistering, mind-bending guitar work. These four kindred spirits started jamming a year or two ago and before long they had their self-titled debut album, which came out last year on Sub Pop. It was that chemistry and that album that Heron Oblivion would bring to the stage at Portland’s Mississippi Studios on Saturday night.
Prior to Heron Oblivion, local act Heather Woods Broderick treated the audience to a more subdued set. Broderick’s soft vocals carried an almost mystical quality, one that complimented her lethargic, wandering mellow rock tunes. But between moments of quietude there was the presence of a Theremin and dramatic percussive swells, which gave Broderick’s songs an otherworldly, enchanting quality. Even when Broderick ditched her guitar for a few intimate solo tunes on the piano, the audience embraced it, respectfully appreciating such an intriguingly beautiful voice.
Heron Oblivion took to the stage in a line formation, with even Meg Baird on drums – who handles the bulk of vocals – right alongside her band mates. Seeing the band next to one another made it clear that each musician plays an equally important role in Heron Oblivion. This is the project of four people, not one ego. While their set was brief, the level of intensity more than made up for it. Just like the album, the set clocked in at a hair under forty-five minutes. On songs like “Sudden Lament”, the group showed off their ability to contrast the soft-spoken yet sharp vocal prowess of Meg Baird with the locked in co-shredding of Noel Von Harmonson and Charlie Saufley, both of whom took on a role of yin and yang when it came to soloing. Ethan Miller – normally the man behind singeing guitar solos with Howlin’ Rain – treated the bass as if it were a guitar while harmonizing with Baird. One of the heaviest tunes of the night was “Faro”, a sinister jam that balanced a droning, feedback-laden groove with a strong sense of melody. “Your Hollows” matched Baird’s gorgeous vocals with Neil Young-esque guitar playing, making for a sort of shimmering, ominous desert ballad.
When the set came to a cacophonous close the audience could easily have handled another hour, but that’s not to say anyone was the least bit disappointed. In Portland on Saturday, Heron Oblivion showed that it’s possible to present a sense of calmness and turbulence simultaneously and through a glorious psychedelic prism. The best part, though, may have been seeing these four supremely talented musicians checking their egos at the door to create an intensely unified rock and roll experience.
All photos by Brandon Simnacher.
