DeVotchKa, Paradise Rock Club, Boston, 3/26/11

This post is long overdue but still worth writing about three months later because, well, it was that good. When I heard that DeVotchKa was coming to Boston, I jumped on the chance to see them again. I had seen them live at the Paradise back in 2008, before all the renovations were done to the venue. I fell in love with them after hearing a friend play their song “The Enemy Guns”—over and over again. I decided I needed to know more, but assuming that “The Enemy Guns” is indicative of their catalog would be shortchanging a band whose sounds carry across all different cultures and continents, slashing borders and mixing them up together in a strange, vibrant mix. That this has been some of their main criticism should also be a sign that there isn’t too much to critique. But if trying to capture and do too much on an album is a fault, then I’ll go down with them.

It might be true that they sweep through such broad musical strokes that it’s a little disorienting as to what you’ll hear next (or what region you’ll next land in), but I for one don’t mind that their sound might not be grounded in one thing. Maybe that is exactly what keeps the music from getting too serious and too heavy. DeVotchKa bring you a sampling of sounds and eras and ask you to indulge for a few minutes in each one. At once you’re hearing about a love torn apart on the front lines of the Mexican War, a modern-day love from afar amidst a dirty subway, and next “come with me” sung in a deep French to the backdrop of the accordion.

You may recognize some of the sounds—pick them apart and you hear European polka music, Mexican mariachi bands, and other somewhat familiar sounds that you can’t quite place. The group is a band of modern-day gypsies traveling with tuba, Theremin, upright bass, violin, accordion, and more. And it’s true that, unless you know what you’re in for, it may be hard to grasp what DeVotchKa are all about, especially on their earlier albums. But live, it all comes together. The sounds mesh, the songs flow into one another, and Nick Urata’s powerful, crooning voice leaves you downright awestruck. In today’s music, a voice that sounds better live than on record is a novelty and to see this whole band live is to see them completely break out of the confines of the recording studio and of a neatly organized album.

DeVotchKa performing "The Clockwise Witness"

Prior to seeing them in 2008, they had been nominated for a Grammy for their work on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack and since then a few things have changed for the group. The venue was the same (just renovated) but the crowd was bigger. More people sung along and knew every word to every song. The band played in front of lights, some running video—even the tuba was decorated with lights. The truth is that I thought all the extra bells and whistles were a bit distracting. It may have added something to the ambience of the set, but for a band that sweeps you up into its own musical world with so many instruments and layers of sound, extra special effects aren’t required.  That being said, some things haven’t changed and that is how nice and down-to-earth the band members are—every single one of them. We hung around after the show and had a record autographed. By the time I purchased it, most of the band had retreated upstairs, but Jeanie Schroder, the band’s female tuba player was nice enough to take the record upstairs and get signatures. Being blind (and completely nervous around people I admire), I mistakenly asked Nick Urata for his signature later, not realizing he had already signed it. Being completely gracious, he kindly pointed this out, while I wanted to die from embarrassment, and took a picture with me. For the rest of the night, DeVotchKa, a few people who attended the show, and some people who had been at the lounge section of the venue, hung out at the bar, chatted, and had drinks. It’s not every day that you get to hang out at a bar with some Grammy-nominated musicians. But it was the perfect ending to an amazing show.