Review: Dan Deacon – Metro, Chicago

By Jodi Root

Words can’t really describe what Dan Deacon and his Ensemble just pulled off at the Metro this evening, so I’ll keep my blurb minimal and let the photos speak for themselves. There was definitely an abundance of smiley, sweaty, leaping bodies, bright flashing lights, and some crazy ass chaotic nightmare gameboy sounds in effect. The Metro was temporarily morphed into a bouncing, glowing, all ages dance party, with one helluva participating crowd. From a mass kneeling, vocal warm-up exercise chants, to a neon green skeleton mascot and crowd circle trot–Deacon kept the kids to their feet and heavily involved. The eclectic soundtrack was just a bonus. Whether or not the obscure experimental digi-beats are your forte, there’s no denying Deacon’s ability to keep a crowd moving. Definitely the most unusual set I’ve checked in ages–even a dislocated shoulder couldn’t keep the master composer from doing his thang–although the barricades at the Metro nearly did, which Deacon scoffed as “sneaky and deceitful.” Don’t worry dude, no barricades could keep your fans from lovin’ you–after all, you ride the Cool Bus.