Indie rockers Kurt Vile and The Violators played at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom Saturday night on tour following the release of their latest album, B’lieve I’m Going Down, which came out earlier this month. The show saw plenty of lo-fi rock and a diverse setlist featuring songs from both the band’s early days and their newer records.
The Crystal Ballroom is a classic and beautiful venue that connects the history and culture of the past and present. Concert posters from days past hang on the painted walls of the staircase while Grateful Dead and Merry Prankster scenes wrap around the ceiling, telling the story of the ’60s counter culture movement like a modern, psychedelic Bayeux tapestry. Inside, the venue sets an intimate scene with chandeliers and walls lit up like an old movie theater.
The room filled quickly for the two opening acts, Cass McCombs and Heron Oblivion, and just before 10:00, Kurt Vile took the stage. The first half of the show was saturated with heavy rock plus hints of psychedelia, with rare glimpses of Kurt’s face from behind his rampant hair. He kicked things into a higher gear with “Freak Train” from his 2009 album Childish Prodigy. Kurt’s signature vocal style is halfway between a wail and and a roar. The band plays his music perfectly, sounding very much like the studio recordings until they expand on them with improvisational Jerry Garcia-esque jamming. The crowd was excited but friendly, aside from one fan who made a scene when he berated a girl about concert etiquette because she tried to navigate around him.
The second half of the set featured a solo Kurt playing several mellow acoustic numbers, occasionally with an accompanying steel guitarist, before his band came back to play collectively. They played some of Kurt’s more popular jams like “Wakin on a Pretty Daze” and “KV Crimes,” from his 2013 album Wakin On A Pretty Daze.
The performance was inspiring; the band showed mean chops, and Kurt’s presence was enchanting. The spacing and tonal play led to some profoundly trippy sounds and playful rhythms. Kurt and the band played several encores before ending the show around midnight. The night ended with many happy fans who poured out of the venue with joy, which is pretty great–as Kurt says numerous times on his newest album–“I guess.”

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Kurt Vile and The Violators rock out. (Creative Commons)