When keyboardist Johnathan Meiburg left Okkervil River to pursue a full-time career with his band Shearwater, it was hardly front-page news. In fact, the only people concerned were the rabid fans of Okkervil River, and their opinion on the matter depended on if they were also fans of Shearwater (the level of “rabidity” usually indicated which was which). Following the split, both bands reached new creative and commercial heights, with Shearwater garnering strong reviews (and a slot opening for Coldplay) with its album Rook, and Okkervil River going on tour with the likes of The New Pornographers and Wilco. But perhaps the best thing to come out of the split was the Okkervil River song “Lost Coastlines”, a duet between the departing Meiburg and the remaining Okkervil frontman, Will Sheff. Rarely does a man leaving a job get such a tribute, and though it is claimed to not be about Meiburg, the parallels speak otherwise.

So, before the encore at the Saturday-night show at Spaceland in Silver Lake, the spare but vocal crowd laughed when the Shearwater singer noted that the last time he had played in L.A. was at the Forum (the former home of the Lakers) but that he liked this place better. Sure, Shearwater has lost some of the buzz that Rook had earned it (through no real fault of its own, mostly just because the band plays a theatrical and moody brand of rock that has niche appeal), but imagining the five-piece at the arena where I first saw Pearl Jam in 1998 was a little bit of a stretch until Meiburg revealed that it was as an opener for Coldplay. Still, if anyone has the voice to hit the upper levels and concession stands in sports venues, it is Johnathan Meiburg. A typical compliment when someone is really good at something is to say it seemed effortless, but Meiburg sings like he should be classically trained and looks like he literally isn’t trying at all. He just opens his mouth and out comes opera.

But if Meiburg wanted to be playing in front of more people than what Spaceland houses (about 260), he wouldn’t have left Okkervil River, or he wouldn’t have followed up Rook with The Golden Archipelago (if the record has a word that the listener either can’t understand or can’t pronounce, he/she is likely not to buy it … I think I read that in Time). Even though The Golden Archipelago has earned solid reviews and contains some of the band’s most accessible music to date, it still is the kind of music that demands very specific listening conditions (I had only found these conditions two times prior to this assignment). No, Meiburg seems more than content playing to a half-full bar, as long as he is backed by capable musicians and surrounded by happy fans. And one seems to beget the other.

To say that Shearwater is full of capable musicians is a gross understatement. The drummer looks like the Ultimate Warrior towards the end of a match, when his paint had all been sweated off. But he’s not just a drummer, oh no. Dude can also play the clarinet (though it was poorly miked and I’m not sure I can pick a clarinet sound out of a lineup) and the glockenspiel.* And this is the same story for nearly every member of the band, which began as five but could ultimately number eight people, including multiple percussion instruments at once. This allowed the band to seem more lively than the tone of the music or the recorded versions would suggest and also kept the band involved, keeping the crowd from pouring all its focus to Meiburg.

The band’s set lasted nearly 90 minutes, covering material from their last three full lengths, and mostly sticking to a reverse chronological order of sorts. Opening with the clear fan favorite off the new album, “Black Eyes”, they moved into “Landscape at Speed”, or as I have it written, percussion party. Whether by elevated cymbal/mini-gong or maraca or tambourine or by auxiliary drummer, there was always extra timekeeping in Shearwater’s set, but this number took the prize for best in drums. But the early set choices made me think “Shearwater would be perfect if they just played some upbeat tracks,” a concern that was momentarily extinguished with “Corridors” and later with the one-two punch of “Rooks” and “Century Eyes”. And yes, it would be a valid criticism to call a Shearwater show one-note, but a.) you knew what to expect before you came, and b.) that one-note is pretty damn impressive.

The big blues riff of Palo Santo‘s “White Waves” and appearance of a trumpet on “Seventy-four, Seventy-five” both served as reminders that just because music is slower in tempo doesn’t mean the music is boring. In fact, I’ve listened to The Golden Archipelago three times today and enjoyed it more each time. Perhaps the moody-music disclaimer isn’t quite so accurate after all. Sure, Shearwater songs may not translate into one of the mansions that loomed in the hills over Silver Lake Boulevard, but they can get you a couple hundred people’s time, all you can drink while you are playing, and a front-row seat for a trailer fire that reminds you how great it is to be alive. Stop by the next area Shearwater show and ask Meiburg to tell you that story. It’s a good one.

Photography by Jesse Bloch.

Shearwater setlist:
Black Eyes
Landscape at Speed
Castaways
Meridian
White Waves
God Made Me
Corridors
Hidden Lakes
Rooks
Century Eyes
I was a cloud
Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five
Uniforms

Nobody**

*If my Internet research is correct, the warrior’s real name is Thor Harris, which explains so much. His Wikipedia page lists the following instruments in his repertoire: drums, hammer dulcimer, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, clarinet, water bowls, found instruments, and homemade instruments.

**Two other songs were played, but I didn’t know them. Neither of them were “The Snow Leopard”, which was a minor bummer.
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