Dan Deacon Debuts 15-Piece Band

Dan Deacon (red flannel) / Photo by Matt Kiser

"Let's try this show out," Baltimore's electro mastermind Dan Deacon gamely announced as his 15-piece band took the stage last night at the cavernous Brooklyn Masonic Temple in New York City. The show marked not only Deacon's first public performance with the new ensemble, but also the premiere of songs off his forthcoming record, Bromst, the proper follow-up to 2007's spastic Spiderman of the Rings.

Before the music began, Deacon had reason to worry about his band's debut. An hour-long set-up time, sheet music mishaps, faulty lighting rigs, and awkward false starts caused Deacon to exclaim, "This, so far, is a nightmare. Let's see if we can take over and have sex with the nightmare."

And while it can't be said for certain if copulation ever took place, there was no doubt that when the 15-piece group finally began in earnest and revved up the material from Bromst, the results were awe-inspiring.

After a loop of female vocals filled the room, the band -- two drummers, percussionist, glockenspiel, a mess of keyboards, and numerous members on computers and effects -- began their set with a drum-heavy song, featuring screeching, drawn-out tones that worked the crowd into a frenzy. The next new tune was punctuated by clanging metal sounds, a thumping low end, and Deacon's siren-like wails -- all while his signature green skull flashed in front of the stage.

Bromst doesn't seem to be as immediately party-ready as Spiderman's supercharged jams, as evident with the dark, stuttering acid-house samples and chanting near the set's end. But despite the decidedly less spastic sonic tones, the crowd still swayed, danced, and bounced the night away.

Look! Check out photos from last night below.

Dan Deacon (red flannel) and friends / Photo by Matt Kiser

Stage set-up and crowd / Photo by Matt Kiser

Dan Deacon (red flannel) and friends / Photo by Matt Kiser

Dan Deacon (red flannel) and friends / Photo by Matt Kiser