Destroyer

This was my first time back at Webster Hall since a 2007 Walkmen show so I was used to how packed the spot can get by the opening act and how inflated the watered down Coors is. The venue's security was cool, i'm guessing they knew the demographic was a very scenester-friendly. They stayed in their seats through the night cause both Destroyer and their opener (War on Drugs) aren't anywhere as aggressive as their respective band-titles suggest. I came in at War on Drugs last 2 songs, which i'm regretting since they seemed to have a good sound, can't exactly remember the tone either since i pregamed enough not to drink more than 2 overpriced beers @ webster hall. My college bud Paolo and I perched ourselves on the 2nd floor balcony, to the right end since the left was reserved for industry folk. Destroyer's set was smart. They opened with Chinatown, this got people to move, its such a crowdpleasing foreplay song even I wanted to talk to the cutest girl in horn-rimmed glasses at the club. They threw in a few old hits but, to be honest, I'm new to the band's work on Kaputt and w/ the New Pornographers so I just recognized that the midway songs weren't on the album. Lead singer Daniel Bejar kept up with the fans though it all, drinking beers (unwatered down of course) and keeping a good flow to the band. Favs of the nite were certainly Blue Eyes and Suicide Demo

Daniel Bejar is the beat poet of the 21st century. His brooding demeanor and artistry with words seems to come from a genuine and wonderous place. His noir trench coat, homeless hair and scruffy beard say I just woke up like this, and i drink the Kool aid. Not like the stale beards and black t-shirts we see at artisinal craft beer pubs all around the world these days. No product necessary. 100% pure, unaltered bejar. An artist who made it cool to think and consider meaning and enjoy being an artist or a mimic or whatever you are with no apologies. For his current poison season tour his backing band are top notch musicians who can play the best of kaputt and destroyer's rubies while rocking the new tracks. They create a woven 3000 thread count sheet of sound that juxtapose and interweave with his powerful, king size words. Truly love the guy! Do not, ever, miss a destroyer show!

I love this band first off. They seem quiet and jazz/pop friendly upon a first listen or two...and are hard to put in a single musical category. If you listen to their catalogue you will be amazed at the underlying cacophony going on all the time. This layered sound is not only realised seeing them live, but emphasised. The driving force present in most songs was the horns. The sax player was just on nearly the whole time while the trumpet (master) played into a mic and often wasn't featured while the band was playing as he was looping his own tracks live and would insert his bits after the fact. AMAZING. What a perfectly paced show and what an honour to see these accomplished musicians perform live.

What a great night. The dimmed lighting in the synagogue coupled with Dan Bejar's taciturn musings made for an enjoyable show. I highly recommend the venue and, of course, Destroyer's unending lyrical and musical prowess.

This is one of those concerts that exceeded my expectation. A friend warned me that the concert would be a snoozefest but it turned out the exact opposite. It was a retrospective setlist but Bejar also performed at least one new composition. *Disclaimer: English is not my first language

there was no indication that this was a solo acoustic show. very disappointing.

With just an acoustic guitar on a bare stage, Dan Bejar strips down his songs to their essence - the lyrics. Great way to experience Destroyer. I have seen him with a full band as well as solo, so I'd recommend both if you are a fan. He has a unique style of guitar playing as well, and it is not something you get to hear much when he is touring with a full band.

Fantastic! Bejar has such weird stage presence and he and his band perform amazingly! YAY!

Great instrumental work from the band. Horn section especially stood out. It was interesting to look at the musical work being put together and compare it to how it sounds on album and pretty grabbing. Very danceable tunes for their more upbeat stuff and even their slower songs are well composed enough to be kind of captivating. Dan Bejar - I like on album but live was kind of disappointing. I don't think it would have been too much to ask for him to at least pretend like he wanted to be there. His voice is great but he seemed pretty aloof and disinterested in displaying any showmanship. There was a lot of him sitting down on stage with his face in his hand.

I admit that I'm not a lifelong Destroyer fan. However, I thought Kaputt was epic and it is by far my favorite album of 2011. With high hopes, I recruited three friends to the 6/20 Destroyer show at Paradise. The opener was meh, but a friend from NY had warned me as much, so my expectations were set properly. However, I didn't expect to be so utterly disappointed about Destroyer's live show. Dan Bejar's vocal was phlegmatic and belabored, resembling a tired Bob Dylan with his pulsating chants. On the album, his voice is warm, precious, and melodic. Not so live. Second, the instruments were not at all balanced -- drums and two brass dominated, while the keyboard -- so crucial on the studio recording -- could not be heard. Part of the blame rests on Paradise, its poor mixing, and blown out speakers. But Destroyer shoulders responsibility too. It should have caught these problems in sound check. According to a friend who attended Destroyer's show in Brooklyn two nights prior, the same problems were abound. I was so disappointed by the admixture of the off-color vocals and awful sound balance that I had to leave after only three songs. I couldn't bear to have them ruin the aura of the album for me. Destroyer is a studio band. I will not attend another live show unless something life-changing is done with their approach.

These guys really know how to rock out! The ensemble of musicians made me feel like I was at a symphony more than a show.

Dan Bejar is a genius who has finally brought all his talents together in a spectacular combination. The band was amazing.

Played latest album with a variety of classic tunes. Got to the venue early to grab front area viewing spots. The opening band was great as well. Had a blast.

Destroyer put on an excellent, intimate performance at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles. The shimmering sounds of Kaputt filled the night as the band's setlist leaned heavily on that album, which was not a problem at all for me.

great opener, great band, great show, terrible venue. woof.