They don't call them "the best live band in the Bay Area" for nothing.
The first time I saw Thee Oh Sees was at Eagle Tavern, which they transformed into a surging sea of people rocking the @#$! out. Personal space was dissolved as, crushed together in the small space, we became one giant writhing mass, arms and hair flung to the jock-strap-covered rafters, pulsing to the beat of guitar and drum.
What on the album is a short, simple song becomes a drawn-out jam in the best possible way - more dance party than hippie noodling. The band's energy is electric, every muscle strained as if the songs are being held back, only to burst forth joyous and free. It's the closest I've ever come to communion with the spirit in every being. Afterwards, the people share a camaraderie, almost as if we had shared something intimate and private. And it's like this every time.
Oliver Smith
Log in to your account
