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 Dosh |
 Anathallo |
 Dosh |
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Story and Photos by Matt Schwenke It seemed only fitting that within the cozy confines of the Cactus Club, which has quietly been host to The White Stripes, Bright Eyes, Interpol and a number of other bands before they went on to much bigger stages, would Dosh saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Mike Lewis find a fan to loan him a sax after his broke just hours before the show with drummer/multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh. The homey, den-like atmosphere did much to break down the feeling of being separated from the bands, and Dosh and openers Anathallo drew the crowd in like seeing a friend's band play in their living room.Mostly known for his multiple-instrument collaborations with Andrew Bird, Dosh is touring in support of his fourth studio release Wolves and Wishes, which takes his looping of drums, keys and a host of other samples into even more cerebral territory than his earlier material, and the show featured Lewis adding sax, bass and other sounds as an adept duo. The new track "Capture the Flag" was a sort of call and response game between the duo that featured short, chaotic segments between syncopated lines-- with no clear winner identified at the end. The droning of "If You Want To, You Have To," also from the new album, held a more common thread throughout as Dosh flitted over dial and knobs, while "Um Circles and Squares," from The Lost Take (2006) presented the most cohesively thought-provoking offering from beginning to end, with percolating sax over an entrancing vibe sound. Representing some of the most experimental wanderings of the evening, Dosh and Lewis were intriguing in "Water Turn Off Notice," from Dosh's 2003 self-titled release. Producing their wall of sound in quite the opposite fashion, the seven-member strong, Chicago-based Anathallo captured the crowd with a shuffling of musicians between instruments while producing energetic and eclectic mixes of pop sound, a la Arcade Fire and Badly Drawn Boy. No less academic than Dosh, Anathallo follow closer to a pop format but with a host of vocal harmonies, percussion, horns and such that is far from naively catchy. "The Dokkoise House," from the group's 2006 release The Floating World, gently rose from subtle beginnings to a masterfully warm wrap of voice and percussion, but most notably "A Great Wind More Ash" took the audience on a journey filled with caffeinated detours to many a thought and sound. In the newly-penned "Nonis Field," the delicately balanced vocals and rhythms are a sign this band has unlimited potential for crafting interesting pop songs. |
 Dosh |
 Anathallo |
 Dosh |
 Anathallo |