Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard

Ever since I saw Jeffrey Lewis and The Junkyard open up for Dr. Dog in Philly in 2009 I've been a huge fan. It is not often the case that opening acts surpass the quality of the headliner. His histories, songs about heartbreak and his thoughts on life have since become a feature of my day to day life. That's why, in lieu of having some minuscule level of disposable income, I decided to megabus it up to New York to see him last Friday at the Mercury Lounge. Roll Bus Roll was the song of the day. Toby Goodshank and Diane Cluck/Anders Griffen opened up the show. I had heard Diane Cluck before, and it was not a surprise that I was struck by her amazing songwriting, complete vocal control, and simple guitar playing. It was a pleasant surprise, though, to be so captivated by the minimalist drumming of Anders Griffen. Switching between the soft playing of brushes, mallets, and normal sticks, he perfectly accented Diane's music. Toby Goodshank's solo set was equally compelling. His voice meandered as he sung simple but profound lyrics. After seeing these two bands my friend and I met a few others who happened to have made the same trek from Philly, with whom we even had mutual friends. This was a strange coincidence in such a small venue so far from home. It did serve to prove how dedicated Jeff, Diane, and Toby's fans are. The night rounded out with Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard. Since the first and only other time I had seen them they had become infinitely tighter. The set was a perfect mixture of new and old songs, my personal favorites being Slogans, Time Trades, and Anxiety Attack. He performed some newer histories. Each member provided a perfect performance on their instrument, and the band was accompanied by Nan Turner on keyboard. The older songs riled the crowd more effectively, but the new ones were a nice relaxed break. All in all it was amazing. I had the privilege of seeing my favorite artist accompanied by some people who I need to familiarize myself with.