Shearwater’s Sheer Beauty

Hospital Ships @ The Triple Door

The Triple Door is an amazing place to see a low-key rock or folk music show, and Thursday night was no exception when Hospital Ships, Wye Oak, and Shearwater dropped in. There was a lot of inter-band play amongst the three–so much so I had to go to their sites to make sure I knew which bands consisted of which members. It made the night that much more fun, knowing that so many good musicians were traveling around together and having a great time.

Wye Oak @ The Triple Door

The evening started off with Lawrence, KS-based Hospital Ships. Afterwards, listening to the songs offered on their MySpace page, it seems that their live show doesn’t do them justice. You can only take so many people with you on tour, so the fullness of the album’s sound wasn’t quite there live. Still, I loved the subtle use of electronic sound present in the back of most of their songs. The sweet melodies sometimes border on haunting, and the soft flow of the music behind it ends up being very complementary.

Wye Oak from Baltimore kept it going with their amazing musical agility. Andy Stack, the keyboardist, drummer, and backing vocalist, killed it playing a drum set, keyboards, and bells at the same time. I had to watch really closely to understand how he managed to do it all. Jenn Wasner, the talented lead singer, added to the mix with fantastic vocals and guitar. Their songs are great, but what really reeled me in was how full the sound was with only two musicians on stage; it was truly impressive.

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Jonathan Mieburg of Shearwater @ The Triple Door

Then, of course, ending the evening was Austin’s Shearwater. Named for a beautiful long-winged bird, the lyrics often speak of nature, untouched environs, and birds themselves. This comes as no surprise since the lead singer, Jonathan Meiburg, is a birdwatcher and loves to collect new species wherever he goes (and apparently, he collected his first violet-green swallow right here in Seattle). He even has a masters degree in geography after studying the Striated CaraCara in the Falkland Islands, among other places.

Back to the show, the best word to describe it is “beautiful.” The Triple Door’s starry backdrop added to the serene feel of the night, and the music was phenomenal. With at least six musicians onstage for every song, changing instruments throughout, it was more like watching a ballet than a rock show. The low lighting and romantic ambiance of the Triple Door didn’t hurt one bit, but I was definitely entranced by Shearwater’s performance.

Shearwater @ The Triple Door