It's impossible not to draw parallels to Bon Iver -- both bands are signed to Jagjaguwar, feature Justin Vernon, and sound quite beautiful. Bon Iver runs a higher risk of blending into the background, and while Volcano Choir has some of the same moments, last night's show was hardly background music.
Volcano Choir played loud, showcasing the band's nuances. Vernon may be the singer, but the show was by no means about him. The attention was equally focused on the band, as the focus shifted from percussion, to guitar, to gang vocals throughout the evening. If anything, guitarist Chris Rosenau was the band's unofficial spokesperson.
Early on, he was taken aback by the interactive crowd. "You're welcome to sing with us anytime," he said. "If you came with us [on tour] for the next 10 days, we'd be set."
See also: Volcano Choir at Crescent Ballroom in Photos
An early stand out song was the unreleased song "Valleyinaire." Songs like "Tiderays" and "Islands, IS" helped build up to this rock-oriented song. I'd love to hear Volcano Choir release more songs like this on its next album.
