Dan Deacon gave us the Head-Thrashing we NEEDED before Corona-Virus Closures at Our 7 Year Anniversary Party at Music Box
Shortly after President Trump announced the travel ban as a result of the infamous Coronavirus, I found myself driving down the empty streets of downtown San Diego towards Music Box. I even found parking right in front, which us concert-goers know that never happens.
Walking in was eerie. It was 8:45 PM, there were maybe a dozen people there, and the set time was 9 PM. I turned to my friend and said, “This is apocalyptic.” Then as if the world heard me, a crowd of people began funneling through the doors. I heard many murmurs along the lines of “These are crazy times, so let’s have a crazy good time.” People certainly did.
The opener Ed Schrader Music Beat effortlessly got the crowd moving. The duo is comprised of Ed Schrader and Devin Rice, whom have an eclectic portfolio ranging from jazz to rock to electronic pop. Their performance mirrored their idiosyncrasy, which was filled with clangoring beats, coppery synths, and biting vocals. The sound was only elevated by Ed’s whimsical energy. His moves are equally fluid as they are sharp and mechanical, so as you can imagine the audience was contorting their bodies in all sorts of funky ways, which certainly looked like a dance honoring the end of the world.
The show was also a special treat for those familiar with both Ed Schrader Music Beat and Dan Deacon given that Dan helped write ESMB’s latest album. We all love when artist collaborations come together on tour. By the end of Ed Schrader Music Beat’s set, the venue was packed to the bar and people were sweaty, meaning it was time to grab a drink. We filled up on our favorite Ilegal Mezcal that helped support our special anniversary party.
After hydrating, people were ready for Dan Deacon. When Dan got onto the stage, he did a comedy bit for the fans in light of Coronavirus fears. Making jokes, “I was washing my hands before it was the cool thing to do. That’s me, Dan, the super cool guy who washes his hands and also makes music. Spread the word.” It solidified the atmosphere for the night. People got silly because it was a safe place to collectively cope and to forget about the reality happening outside the venue walls.
The second Dan started playing, the crowd began to mosh, and a couple of songs in, Dan commenced the crowd to open a dance circle. Everyone moved aside and kneeled down allowing two eager participants into the circle. Dan started up the music and the dancers shamelessly frolicked around as the audience clapped and pumped their hands in support. Soon a special guest emerged into the circle, That Fucking Panda. The circle broke with all the hype and the Panda joined the zealous audience. The night continued in fervent dance sweat and I’ll always remember this show as last show before the COVID-19 “quarantine”. It was everything a great memory should be and made me truly appreciate the uniting joy that music brings to us.
