David Bazan Band plays Pedro the Lion's "Control" w/Stagnant Pools @ Cat's Cradle

     When a songwriter announces a tour commemorating the tenth anniversary of an album's release it’s usually for one of two reasons:

First: The artist’s career has floundered since the success of their early albums and they decide to cash in on bygone days of quality songwriting as a last attempt at relevancy.

Second: The album itself not only has endured after all these years, but has grown more meaningful with age. A new generation has found significance in the work and it has become something larger than itself; something truly worth commemoration.

     

     David Bazan’s decision to tour behind the tenth anniversary of Pedro the Lion’s Control fits squarely into the second category.

     A politically driven concept record written in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Control tackles themes of division, suspicion, ambition, and betrayal that are as applicable in today’s tense political climate as they were ten years ago. An extended metaphor comparing the political schism of post-9/11 America to the disintegration of a family after infidelity underpins the album’s primary themes of disunion and deception. By extensively using metaphor, allegory, and symbolism, Bazan avoids the pitfalls of writing blatantly political songs, which he described to me as “in poor taste.” Control’s ability to address complex political problems in an affecting, personal way is what has allowed it to age so gracefully, and why it is the best choice for Bazan to commemorate on tour. 

Brian Enas of Stagnant Pools

     

     The show was opened by Bloomington, Indiana band Stagnant Pools. Brothers Brian and Douglass Enas craft their My Bloody Valentine-meets-Joy Division brand of shoegaze gloom with only one guitar, a drum kit and a few pedals; an impressive feat when compared to the massive amounts of equipment used by similar bands. The duo conjured a moody, punk-tinged haze that kept the blood pumping and got the night started on a strong note. The only hiccups in the set stemmed from a somewhat loose drum section that struggled to keep up at times, and a dry vocal mic that clashed with the band’s heavy instrumental atmospherics. Those were only minor complaints and I highly suggest that any fan of shoegaze or dark indie rock check out Stagnant Pools.

David Bazan

     After a quick line check, Bazan and his ace backing band of Andy Fitts on bass and Alex Westcoat on drums burst into Control opener “Options.” Being the first song of the set and the album’s most well-known track, the recognizable intro riff was greeted with hearty cheers and applause. Moving along in order of appearance on the album, Bazan pounded through “Rapture” and the sardonic corporate commentary of “Penetration.” The set was organized into three parts: a set of Bazan-penned songs from his various bands and solo projects, bookended by the two halves of Control. Highlights from the middle section of songs included a poignant solo rendition of the Strange Negotiations single “Wolves At The Door,” and Pedro the Lion staples “Transcontinental” and “When They Really Get To Know You They Will Run.” During breaks between songs Bazan frequently asks if the crowd has any questions at various points in the set, so I decided to take the opportunity to ask about the concepts behind the Pedro the Lion albums Winners Never Quit and Control. He responded with an insightful description of how Winners was a very deliberate concept record mocking evangelical Christian values about two brothers who take different paths through life, while Control was “an accidental concept album” that grew organically as the album took shape. Sadly, few audience members decided to take advantage of this time to ask good questions, and instead just drunkenly blurted “play (insert song here)!!!” As the band finished off the second half of Control the performance reached its zenith. The emotionally charged stretch of songs from “Magazine” to “Rejoice” was the most dramatic and moving period of the night. The bitterness and resentment of “Rehearsal” and “Second Best” has grown into a catharsis for Bazan, while the dejected narrative in “Priests and Paramedics” has become more cautionary tale than parable. A re-vamped version of “Rejoice” finished out the set on a powerful note, and Bazan graciously thanked the crowd for listening before leaving the stage.

Westcoat on Drums

    
     Pedro the Lion’s Control is a rare case of an album that not only stands the test of time, but becomes more pertinent as time progresses. This tour commemorating the David Bazan masterpiece comes at the perfect time, when the political division in America is as evident than ever, and the values of post 9/11 society are starting to be questioned. When will the climate of disunity and partisan quarreling become too much? It’s tough to say, but only by holding a mirror up to the situation and letting the reality of it sink in, as Bazan has done with Control, will there ever be chance for the masses to realize that the current milieu of aimless infighting does not work.