Local Natives upstage David Byrne at their sold-out NYC show

May 7, 2010, at Bowery Ballroom

By Susan Kamenar
Published: May 11th, 2010 | 4:05pm

Most bands can claim indie fame when they sell out two nights at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. Very few can say that David Byrne of the legendary Talking Heads was in attendance. California’s newest buzz band, Local Natives, were deservingly graced with that high honor and eagerly welcomed as if they had walked onstage for a homecoming show.

Known for their two-, three-, and sometimes four-part harmonies as well as their frenzied dual percussion section, Local Natives led the captivated crowd through the majority of their highly acclaimed January debut, Gorilla Manor (Frenchkiss). Their folky harmonies were reminiscent of Fleet Foxes but with the vibrancy of big city life, rather than the woods of Seattle. Their opulent vocals resonated on the same plane as Grizzly Bear, but again there was an energy that set Local Natives apart.

Although Taylor Rice may be the most distinguishable of the quintet with his thick, dark mustache and rich, sensual voice, the show was a truly collaborative effort as the band members continuously swapped harmonies and instruments. Kelcey Ayer took the lead with his high-pitched, whispery voice on songs such as the breezy “Cubism Dream.” His ability to multitask on lead vocals, harmonies, keys, floor tom, and cymbal was uncanny. Curly-haired Ryan Hahn on guitar and mandolin flushed out the choir of “oohs” and “ahhs” in his ironic RESPECT shark T-shirt. The tall and lanky Andy Hamm created simple but beautiful basslines in rolled up jeans while the bouncy Matt Frazier clattered and rolled on the drums.

The distinctive, accentuating percussion rim shots in songs such as “Wide Eyes” and “Airplanes” created a sense of urgency throughout their set while the swelling melodies built an intensity that crashed like waves against a cliff into thrashing hyperactive breakdowns, most notable in “Sun Hands.”

Local Natives’ songs danced from the fun and free set opener, “Camera Talk,” to the crying guitar of the lost and drifting number “Cards and Quarters.”There were David Byrne chants from admiring fans throughout the night, and he was thanked and cited as inspiration by the band before they went into their savvy (dare I say better) cover of the Talking Heads’ “Warning Signs.”

The entire show was an uplifting, almost spiritual experience that filled the room with a stained glass sunburst of colored light, sometimes shattering the glass completely. To more fully solidify that experience, a mini orchestra of cello, violins, and trumpets joined the band for the grandiose set closer, “Who Knows Who Cares.” The wall of sound flooded the room and the sing along “oohs” from all directions were the most majestic of the night, giving a complete surround sound effect that could fill an opera house.

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For more photos, visit Venus Zine’s Flickr page

Local Natives official site

Local Natives MySpace page

Frenchkiss Records