Reverence & Rapture

Just for fun, here are some different faces of David Bazan, a Seattle-based musician responsible for forming the electronically-driven Headphones, as well as the more organically-based Pedro the Lion (which he officially retired in 2006). Above is my favourite hymn of all time, performed by a very young and sweetly earnest Bazan at the Velvet Elvis in Seattle around ten years ago, right around the time I first discovered him. He was just starting out then and got in to perform as one of the local acts at Bumbershoot, Seattle's arts and culture festival held every Labour Day; I had the amazing privilege of writing up his bio for press and programme materials.

Although I had to work the festival and didn't get to see him perform that year (occupational hazard for anyone who thinks working music festivals means seeing shows!), my reward was a very rough cassette demo he made for submission to the festival that year. Along with a photograph of Vladimir Ashkenazy and I comparing our small hand sizes palm to palm, it's one of my most treasured musical possessions.

Something Bazan has recently started doing are house shows ~ intimate performances done old salon~style for 30-50 people in private homes. Essentially, a call for venue-offers is made amongst fans, and one lucky person gets to enjoy having Bazan play in his/her living room or patio for him/herself, along with a bunch of other lucky devils. His two upcoming local house shows sold out in days. To add to the pain of it all, BJJ Mastah recently mentioned that Bazan played at his university for $6, and none of his students went to the show. What silly, silly monkeys.




Just to make up for such grief, here is a live performance of Rapture ~ a very different beast of a song than the first ~ off his concept album, Control, at the infamous Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, 2004.

Finally, I've saved Magazine ~ my favourite and most breathless, heart-racing musical addiction from Bazan ~ for last, fabulously used as a musical backdrop to covers from a cool-ass sci-fi comic strip. His newest album is in the works and due out soon. Keep an eye and ear posted; like a good, moldy cheese, he just keeps on getting better.

Enjoy.