Pinback unloaded their finely-tuned stage show upon a sold-out Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday to prove that one of indie rock’s biggest comic geeks (Rob Crow) may have finally morphed into a larger-than-life alter ego himself: ROADMAN.
Master of the touring lifestyle, practitioner of engaging stage banter, controller of the visual spectrum with a push of the button, the ROADMAN cometh and put on one hell of a show. Time was a Pinback show was a bit of a gamble; you never knew whether Crow and Armistead Burwell Smith IV’s vocals would be “on” and “meshing” with each other on a particular night. When they were off, not all the reverb in Jim James’ silo could bring them back on target. But when they were on….oh boy, that’s why we keep going back.
Mercifully, the last few Pinback shows I’ve been to have fallen into the latter category, and Saturday night was by far the most locked in I’ve ever witnessed the band, both vocally and rhythmically. Of course, it should also be noted that their musicianship and sense of rhythm has always been their ace in the hole, a staggering display of interlocking basslines, backbeats and guitar noodles that usually coalesce at around triple speed to the versions found on their albums.
Crow and Smith’s vocals complimented one another perfectly throughout the nearly two-hour set, their high notes soaring with searing conviction and gentle back and forths gracefully pushing the melodies forward. Yes, it seems the charming shyness and pitchy warbling of Pinback past has given way to a band that has benefitted from embarking on cross-country national tours almost every year; Pinback has grown up. They are professionals. They are road warriors, and Crow is the ROADMAN.
You could see it in the details. In possession of a road-weary Billy Gibbons-esque beard, Crow lurched in front of his keyboard rig with a low-slung guitar and Drive Like Jehu shirt signaling his hardore/metal allegiances. Expertly necking Newcastles and Guinnesses with startling aplomb (and with the help of the custom beer cozy installed on the keyboard rig) and cueing up the various animations and pictures that appeared on the screen behind him, he still had enough wherewithal in such multitasking to play breakneck guitar and belt out his now-perfect pitch vocals. Custom beer-cozy built on to an A/V and keyboard contraption? Professional!
Smith, meanwhile, anchored the low end of the band’s sound with devastating ease, playing his now-signature blend of contorted bass chords and complex voicings with such casual grace that you wouldn’t believe that he most likely works out with Trent Reznor in between tours (dude is pretty ripped). If you missed them Saturday as well as last night, too bad for you. But who knows? Next time they come through town Crow might even be wearing a cape. He deserves one…
*above slideshow created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
30 Sep - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
01 Oct - Washington DC @ Black Cat
02 Oct - New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
03 Oct - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
04 Oct - Providence, RI @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
05 Oct - Boston, MA @ Paradise
07 Oct - Toronto, ON @ Mod Club Theater
08 Oct - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
09 Oct - Columbus, OH @ Milo
10 Oct - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall
11 Oct - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
12 Oct - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
13 Oct - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
15 Oct - Missoula, MT @ The Other Side
16 Oct - Seattle, WA @ Showbox Showroom
17 Oct - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
19 Oct - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
20 Oct - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
22 Oct - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Visit Pinback on MySpace.